LADLE Community Kitchen: the taste of sharing

After 8 years of continuous work with children and families in Tulum, we’ve seen that food is far more than nourishment — it is connection, tradition, and healing. Our new Community Kitchen initiative will become the heart of the community center: a space to share local, organic, and ancestral food practices, where children, families, and international visitors can come together around the table.

Cooking together creates bonds. Sharing recipes passes on cultural wisdom. Eating with care nurtures both body and soul.

This kitchen will serve a significant number of meals annually, provide job opportunities for local families, and open doors to social entrepreneurship, as it will also operate outside of program hours — supporting community events and sustainable revenue for our nonprofit. Healthy snacks and beverages will be sold on an ongoing basis.

From Mayan recipes to global flavors, this space will celebrate food as a tool for education, healing, and economic resilience.

We will adapt a new space on the first floor, integrating it seamlessly into our existing open-plan layout. This design will allow us to blend both social entrepreneurship and educational workshops in a functional and inviting environment.

We are also committed to maintaining high standards of hygiene for  everyone, respecting environmental guidelines, and ensuring child safety. It will be a conscious kitchen, built with care and intention.

This budget, made with love from the architecture firm GC + LP,  includes masonry work, furniture and metalwork covering 34.9% from the total budget, appliances, equipment, and electrical installations 16.6% — all aimed at enhancing the functionality, safety, and comfort of the space. These improvements will strengthen our mission, increase durability, and create an organized, welcoming setting in every space of the building. Complementary equipment 39.9% will provide comfort and usability + 12.1% of taxes (IVA 16%). Appliances will support daily operations, and electrical installations will ensure reliable power and lighting.We are currently estimating the project timeline, with plans to carry out the work during September and October, aiming for completion by November 2nd, when activities are open once again. 

Estimated duration:

Masonry, furniture, and metalwork: approximately 4 weeks
Electrical installations and complementary work: approximately 2.5 weeks

Together, these elements will form a practical, efficient, and inspiring environment for children, families, and the community.

Every donor will be honored on a plaque at the heart of our renewed  community space- a lasting symbolof collective care and generosity.

We believe in the powerful shift that nurturing the body, mind, and soul can bring — and this kitchen is a step toward that vision.