Upperville's Ayrshire Farm recently delivered 5,000 lbs of certified organic, certified humane, heritage breed turkeys to D.C. Central Kitchen to help prepare the thousands of meals they cooked and distributed to ensure that those less fortunate enjoyed a delicious Thanksgiving dinner.

Ayrshire's turkeys, along with dozens donated by United Praise Youth Choir, McKean Defense Group, Lockheed Martin, AMYX, Federal Schedules and City Year, were the focal point in healthy Thanksgiving meals that were delivered to area shelters, relief agencies and not-for-profits.

Now in its 11th year, D.C. Central Kitchen prepared 9,500 Thanksgiving dinners for distribution.

For dessert this year, volunteers from the Beauvoir School and Georgetown Day School baked 450 pies.

This year marks D.C. Central Kitchen's 21st year of combating hunger and creating opportunity. The Kitchen works 365 days a year to provide low-income individuals and families with nutritious food that helps chronically unemployed men and women achieve self-sufficiency. Their outreach efforts are life-savers for people living on the streets.

Always expanding, the Kitchen's newest initiative is to recover tens of thousands of pounds of free or low-cost, surplus fresh produce from area farms. These delicious vegetables and fruits enhance the nutrition of more than 4,500 meals prepared at the Kitchen and donated to social service agencies in the Greater Washington area.

In the past year, 81 men and women overcoming homelessness, addiction, and incarceration gained jobs and hope through the Kitchen's empowering Culinary Job Training program.

Nationally, the Kitchen has expanded its network of Campus Kitchens to 26 university, college and high school campuses, replicating its model across America.

To learn more about D.C. Kitchen and its initiatives, please visit www.dccentralkitchen.org.