BATON ROUGE — The Greater Baton Rouge Food Bank and Three O'Clock Project are teaming up to build a community kitchen aimed at expanding access to nutritious meals across south Louisiana.

The kitchen will be built inside the food bank's existing facility, converting roughly 5,000 square feet into a commercial production kitchen, culinary classroom and workforce training center.

When it opens, the kitchen is expected to produce around 1,000 meals a day, with room to grow as more food rescue efforts and after-school and summer feeding partners come on board.

The partnership brings together the food bank's distribution network, volunteer base and nutrition programs with the Three O'Clock Project's background in food rescue and child nutrition to turn rescued food into prepared meals.

"The community kitchen is an exciting step forward in how we meet the needs of our neighbors," said Liz Pfifer, President and CEO of the Greater Baton Rouge Food Bank. "It's more than just preparing meals. It's about creating opportunity, improving health and building a stronger community."

Pfifer also said the kitchen could eventually serve as a model for other communities.

"Three O'Clock Project has seen firsthand how consistent access to nutritious meals can change the trajectory of a child and strengthen an entire family," said Emily Chatelain, founder and executive director of Three O'Clock Project. "This Community Kitchen will allow us to rescue more food, prepare more healthy meals and reach more children through trusted community partners."