Changes to Begin in Community Kitchen

Volunteers have been scheduled to begin tearing down the interior of the kitchen at the  on Saturday as part of a renovation project to improve the space.

The “demo day” will begin at 8 a.m. and end at 4 p.m. Free pizza will be given at noon to volunteers helping with the construction.

"If anyone feels like coming in and destroying stuff, they're more than welcome," said Project Touch Executive Director and Hermosa Beach resident Dorothy Forba-Hartley, who proposed the kitchen renovation project last year.

"I am beyond excited this phase one is starting," she said.

Forba-Hartley's organization Project Touch, a local nonprofit that provides counseling and intervention services to at-risk youth, frequently uses the kitchen and other rooms in the center, along with The Arc, which serves adults with disabilities, and The Easter Seals.

The renovation project will create a more open space within the kitchen, fix the kitchen sink drain and oven, and upgrade other aspects of the room.

The project has received support from the Manhattan Beach and Hermosa Beach Rotary Clubs.

While Forba-Hartley expects and welcomes volunteers to help with the demolition Saturday, more volunteers are needed throughout the week—especially licensed contractors or “just handy people,” she said.

"We hope to have this whole kitchen project done in three weeks," she added.

Those interested in helping this project can e-mail Forba-Hartley at dorothy@projecttouch.org. 

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