As we continue to celebrate our 25th anniversary, this month we’re taking a closer look at Second Helpings’ founding in 1998. We recently sat down with Bob Koch, one of Second Helpings’ founders to reflect on his experience during the organization’s earliest days.
To hear Bob Koch tell the story is a reminder that Second Helpings has always been a community effort.
In 1996, Kristen Kienker came to Jean Paison and Bob Koch with a big idea – she wanted to create a central Indiana organization modeled after DC Central Kitchen. The three chefs knew each other through the Indianapolis chapter of the American Culinary Federation, and they would begin working closely to create, open, and expand Second Helpings.
Bob was directing culinary training for a national company at the time, had worked in restaurants, and would later work for US Foods (Alliant Food Services at the time). From each perspective in his career, Koch could see that Second Helpings provided a simple, yet critical, community solution.
“When I first heard the pitch for what would become Second Helpings, I thought, ‘Yes, there’s a need for culinary training; yes, there’s waste; yes, there’s hunger – and yes, this solution could work.’”
Chef Bob Koch leading a line-cooking exercise during a 2000 Culinary Job Training class.
In the organization’s early days, Bob served many roles – all as a volunteer on top of a full-time job in the culinary industry. He held numerous board officer roles, volunteered in the kitchen, guest instructed in the training program, and advocated for the organization in the community.
So what took Second Helpings from an idea discussed around a kitchen table to the organization we are today?
Bob’s answer: the volunteers.
“Once we got some momentum, and signed a lease for the first building, we surrounded ourselves with people smarter than us. We’re chefs! We needed people who could renovate the building, repair equipment, recruit students, and make this all happen… Still today, Second Helpings volunteers are the transmission that makes the organization run.”
Now retired, Bob still keeps up with Second Helpings, and enjoys seeing both what has changed, and perhaps more importantly, what hasn’t.
“When we started, we didn’t re-distribute food. That’s a more recent effort, which provides an increased impact for our partners. But to see that over 25 years, Second Helpings has never strayed from the core programs we started out with – Food Rescue, Hunger Relief, and Culinary Job Training – is one of the things I love most about this organization. We haven’t tried to change who we are; we have stayed true to our mission all along.”
Over 25 years, Second Helpings has rescued nearly 48 million pounds of food, delivered nearly 19 million meals, and graduated more than 1,000 Culinary Job Training students.
“I never dreamed we’d reach those milestones,” Bob said. “I’m grateful I had the experience to help be a part of this at the beginning, and I’m humbled by the many people who I have met through Second Helpings, and who have taken the organization further.”
“Twenty-five years ago, I knew a child should never go hungry, and we didn’t even know how big the need was at the time. “Still,” Bob said, “that need continues. The work’s not done.”
Be a part of the community solution to fight hunger from all angles. Sign up to volunteer.