Our Projects

Cook School Food Pantry | First Step | Guiding Harbor | Camperships

Cooke School Food Pantry

Through an innovative partnership with Northville Public Schools, the Kids’ Table Food Pantry at Cooke School serves area families in need with monthly to-go boxes packed with food and hope. This dynamic partnership is about more than the much-needed food – it empowers students and families alike. The pantry is staffed by Cooke’s special needs students who gain valuable work experience and life skills as they help others in the community.

The Kids’ Table fully funds the food pantry which opened in October 2023. Each month, the Kids’ Table purchases and delivers the food and household items in bulk to the pantry. Next, the students do the hands-on work of filling the pantry shelves, packing the boxes and helping load the boxes at pick-up. There is a different monthly theme such as Pasta Night, Comfort Food, Taco Tuesday and Breakfast for Dinner.

The food pantry both fulfills The Kids’ Table mission of feeding children and it creates a learning experience for the Cooke students right at their school.

Families in the NPS district are eligible to participate in the The Kids’ Table Food Pantry program.

First Step

The Kids' Table has a partnership with First Step Domestic Violence Shelter, headquartered in Wayne, MI. First Step’s mission is to eliminate both domestic and sexual violence and to provide comprehensive services to individuals and families impacted by these crimes. The nonprofit serves all of Wayne County, Michigan. Every month, we cover the costs of fresh fruits, vegetables, dairy and meats for the residents living in the shelter.

We have also committed to purchasing essential cooking tools for every client so they are able to make healthy meals for themselves and their children. Once families leave the shelter, these tools will go with them to their new homes to give them a head start on setting up their kitchens.

Thanks to generous donors, we have made a one year commitment to First Step. We hope to continue this partnership for years to come.

Guiding Harbor: Independent Living Plus

Guiding Harbor's Independent Living Plus (ILP) house in Ypsilanti provides a vital bridge for teens (16-19) aging out of foster care ages 16–19, offering a stable environment where they can master life skills, pursue education, and maintain employment under the guidance of success coaches.

The Kids’ Table helped support this mission by furnishing the ILP’s new residence near the EMU campus. We transformed the communal spaces into a functional, stylish home, including:

A Chef-Ready Kitchen: Fully stocked with everything from bakeware to cleaning supplies, allowing residents to build culinary independence.
Purposeful Spaces: Designed areas for professional coaching, financial literacy training, and house meetings.
Community Hubs: Comfortable living and dining rooms where teens can relax, bond, and feel a sense of belonging.

We are thrilled to report that the residents are taking immense pride in their new home, acting as excellent stewards of the space as they work toward a brighter, independent future.

Camperships

In 2025 The Kids’ Table launched a campership initiative to ensure that financial barriers didn't stand in the way of a transformative summer. By partnering with local organizations like Schoolcraft College and the Northville Art House, we provided children across Southeast Michigan with fully-funded opportunities to explore the arts, athletics, and sciences.

These camperships do more than just fill a week of summer; they provide a vital space for:

Skill Discovery: Campers found new passions in everything from painting and soccer to scientific experiments.
Social Connection: Beyond the activities, children built lasting friendships and developed essential social-emotional confidence.
Community Support: We helped families alleviate financial pressure while combatting "summer learning loss" through active, engaging environments.

In 2026 we are expanding our reach to include Maybury Farm, Northville Art House, and Northville Parks and Recreation, working directly with local schools to identify and sponsor children who would benefit most from the magic of summer camp.