PORTSMOUTH, Va. (WAVY) — The Portsmouth Community Kitchen has reached an exciting milestone, as the organization is celebrating five years of serving the community.

Since opening in 2019, the kitchen has given more than 600,000 meals with the help of 100 local partners and more than 3,500 volunteers.

Mercy Chefs co-founder Ann LeBlanc was a fixture in the creation of the kitchen, and said they are looking forward to expanding in the future.

“It’s been amazing to see the growth and what’s happening there,” LeBlanc said. “We have some programs that have begun this year that have made us very excited for the community. And we’ve been working with young people, some teenagers and doing some cooking classes and teaching them about nutrition.”

The Portsmouth Community Kitchen plans to launch a cooking club this year for young people, and it will be partnering with local schools and churches.

Portsmouth Community Kitchen is located at 711 Washington St. in Portsmouth. The organization has other kitchens in Dallas, Nashville and Richmond.