1,000 miles for $1,000 is runner's goal to support L.A. Kitchen

LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- Pounding the pavement 21 miles a week for 340 days is Robby Lewis's equation.

That's how he hopes to raise money for the L.A. Kitchen.

He's looking to creatively spread the word that he plans to run 1,000 miles for $1,000.

"I was born and raised in LA so to give back to a charity that gives back to LA was a perfect opportunity," said Lewis.

Lewis researched the year-old nonprofit and loved its sustainability concept.

"Keep food from being thrown away, while we keep people out of jail and then we reinvest our profit back in LA, it never leaves," said LA Kitchen CEO Robert Egger.

Egger's concept takes young adults coming out of foster care along with those leaving correctional institutions to learn all phases of food service plus health, nutrition, accountability, sanitation and more.

The end game is to get them jobs.

"We're usually 100 percent placement on graduation day and we also have jobs here for our for-profit company," said Egger.

Young and old work side-by-side in a 15-week training program. They generate a few thousand meals daily from food donated by farmers and wholesalers.

"I've been chopping potatoes and chopping lettuce," said Rafi Nazarians of Glendale.

Nazarians works for AARP which invested about $1.5 million to get L.A. Kitchen started, for good reason.

"Most people don't know that Los Angeles is home to the largest concentration of older people in America and that number is going to double in 10 years," said Egger.

Getting people working by creating better meals for less money is a win-win.

Robby has run about 150 miles and raised about $700 but he's looking to raise a whole lot more due to one very generous donor.

"For every donation to the LA Kitchen we have an anonymous donor matching every single, corporate, foundation or individual gift up to a million dollars," said Egger.

So run Robby run.

To help Lewis help the LA Kitchen, here is his Go Fund Me page.