Twisted Kitchen, known for giving guests the freedom to design their dishes and put their own “twist” on what they eat, is enabling another organization to help its recipients become empowered, too. Twisted Kitchen is working with Camp Kudzu to assist families with children and teens living with Type 1 diabetes to have the freedom to live well.

“It’s important for all families to be able to go about daily life as normal as possible,” said Trent Cawthon, vice president and co-owner of Twisted Kitchen. “We hope that our partnership with Camp Kudzu will enrich many families, help them make connections and have even more meaningful lives.” Cawthon understands the unique challenges of living with diabetes, having been diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes himself.

Camp Kudzu is an independent, nonprofit organization that serves children and teens living with Type 1 diabetes. Its programs are delivered with the support of endocrinologists, healthcare professionals, and volunteers specifically trained in diabetes management. It offers overnight summer camps, a weeklong day camp, family camp weekends and a teen retreat. Its fun-filled programming empowers families, children and teens living with Type 1 diabetes to gain confidence, make connections with their peers and increase knowledge about living a healthy life with diabetes.

Thanks to Twisted Kitchen, Camp Kudzu now has an updated refrigeration unit to house insulin. The Twisted Kitchen team recognizes the need for Camp Kudzu’s equipment to be updated and will continue their commitment to supporting this meaningful local organization with more donations in the future

Twisted Kitchen has had a continued partnership with Camp Kudzu. The fast casual restaurant concept kicked off the year by donating a portion of every kid's meal sold at all locations back to Camp Kudzu, the easiest way for guests to get involved alongside Twisted Kitchen. This long-term partnership will expand as Twisted Kitchen grows, as all locations in Georgia will have Camp Kudzu as their primary partner. The Twisted Kitchen team supported Camp Kudzu’s Evening Under the Stars event the last two years and will continue to support Camp Kudzu events and fundraisers in 2024. Twisted Kitchen also has provided meals to the Camp Kudzu staff for their planning meetings. 

“Camp Kudzu is fortunate to recognize Twisted Kitchen as a year-round Community Partner,” said Robert Shaw, executive director of Camp Kudzu. “We are grateful for Twisted Kitchen’s many contributions, including its creative year-round fundraising efforts—in addition to the Leadership Team’s commitment to supporting more than 1,000 families living with Type 1 diabetes in Georgia.”

Families with kids with Type 1 diabetes must know the dietary information of the food they eat to ensure their children take the proper medication in advance. Twisted Kitchen has taken steps to help supply this information to families so that they can enjoy a simple, personalized meal and not have to worry about added ingredients. With this long-term partnership, the team at Twisted Kitchen hopes to bring a little bit of normal to mealtime and allow families to concentrate on other endeavors.