JEFFREY BROWN:

It's new territory for most of them. Some are recently homeless, others recovering from drug and alcohol addiction, newly released from prison or chronically unemployed.

Located in the basement of a large homeless shelter just blocks from the White House and U.S. Capitol, D.C. Central Kitchen is the nation's largest community kitchen. Its full-time professional staff, helped out by a steady stream of volunteers, puts out 5,000 meals a day, which are sent to homeless shelters, schools, half-way houses and other nonprofits in the area.

Much of the kitchen's output is prepared from donated ingredients — produce, canned goods, meat and fish that local restaurants and food retailers would otherwise throw away.