Widespread Distribution of Free Food with Mobile Kitchen

Widespread Distribution of Free Food with Mobile Kitchen

The Economic Cafeterias of the Dominican State recently acquired the modern mobile kitchen. It has distributed 55,121 rations of free prepared food in different parts of the country with this new industrial equipment.

Thousands of poor people have benefited, having received numerous types of meals with the necessary nutritional values.

Thousands of poor people have benefited, having received numerous types of meals with the necessary nutritional values. As soon as President Leonel Fernández gave the mobile kitchen to the Economic Cafeterias, in April, 5,500 rations of cooked food were distributed. In May, 19,386 were distributed and another 2,900 in June, totaling 55,121.

Between April and July, the general administrator of Economic Cafeterias, Nicolás Calderón, personally directed the distribution of food in a large section of the country accompanied by a group of specialized cooks who also cook the meals for his office.

Calderón said that in hard times due to torrential rains, the Mobile Kitchen is a great help for many people in the country. As the levels of rivers rise, many of people lose their small farms and gardens to the water, and the Mobile Kitchen is a big help for such people.

The Mobile Kitchen was inaugurated in the municipality of Consuelo, where the first 2,750 rations of cooked food were distributed. It was then moved to Quisqueya where they handed out 2,000 meals and later to San Cristóbal where they handed out 750.

In the month of May, in Navarrete 970 meals were handed out; El Seybo, 12,710; San Cristóbal, 4,406; Neyba, 1,200 cooked meals.

In June, they handed out 1,360 cooked meals in El Seybo; in Los Cajuiles, 1,000; in Loma del Chivo, 550 and in Jinadiana, 1,450.

Also in June 3,850 meals were handed out in Alcarrizos; in Samaná, 2,500; El Limón, 2,200; in Santiago, 13,250 and in the Department of Prisons, 275.

During July in Elías Piña, on two different occasions 2,900 cooked meals were handed out.

The Mobile Kitchen was handed over from President Leonel Fernández to the General Administrator of the Economic Cafeterias in the National Palace in April of this year. It began immediately to distribute food in those places of the country most affected by the rains.

Characteristics of the Mobile Kitchen

The modern Mobile Kitchen is 32 feet long and 8.5 feet wide, has rear stabilizers and two gas cylinders, each weighing 100 pounds and each one with a regulator. It has an attaching mechanism with the shape of an “A” covered in high resistance aluminum. It has three torflex axes of 5,000 pounds each with ”12 x 12” electric brakes and an easy maintenance mechanism.

It also has a corrosion-proof chassis. It has two air conditioning systems each 15000 BTU mounted in the ceiling at a height of 7′ 6”. It has a restaurant type DEEP 3 dish washing machine approved by the NSF separated in three compartments. It also has a hand washing sink made from stainless steel.

It has a water pump and a 6-gallon water heater, and a 200-gallon fresh water supply divided in four containers. It also has an external connector for filling up with fresh water, three 34 gallon residual water deposits and a draining valve for safe draining of residual waters.

It has a 50 amp 16-circuit electrical panel for 120/240 volt and six fluorescent lamps in the ceiling. The floor is made out of anti-slip aluminum. The door is 36” with a protective netting or mail. It has a soliciting window and an office with an opaque glass window.

It has a 24x 118x 31 stainless steel covered table, a commercial fan 102” long, two mobile fiberglass counters, a Kubota diesel electric generator that weighs 13.7 kilos and a 20 gallon fuel tank, a 35 cubic foot True mod. T-35 stainless steel freezer, a 35 cubic foot fridge with a 60 pound ballast, two 40 gallon industrial fryers, 4 small ovens, a soap dispenser and two fire extinguishers.