Channels Food Rescue
3305 North 6th Street
Harrisburg, PA 17110
717- 232-1300
www.channelsfoodrescue.com
"A lot of things in the restaurant and food industry are forgiven," says Executive Chef Jackie Pestka at Channels Food Rescue in Pennsylvania. Chef Pestka runs the Kitchen School for Channels, or what she calls "Culinary Boot Camp." The Kitchen School is a 12-week program aimed to provide low-income residents who lack a skill set with job training in food preparation and service. The program gives the participants the training necessary to obtain an entry-level position in the food industry. Chef Pestka, a charismatic prevalent force at Channels, lets her students know that "anybody who wants to succeed in this industry has or will." But she also knows that the industry is tough. Not only are the students at The Kitchen School responsible for providing 800 plus kids a day with a healthy meal through their Kid's Café program but they also run a catering service. They put the same hours in that someone working a full-time job would but what they leave the program with is invaluable. Channels has created a system that perpetuates a cycle of kindness and generosity which alleviates hunger, provides job training, and challenges everyone that is involved.
The Bread Project
1701 San Pablo Avenue
Berkeley, CA 94702
510-644-4575
The Bread Project is also an organization that provides job training for the food industry but is unique in that it not only provides prep cook training but also a separate course that focuses solely on bakery training. The Bread Project was founded by Susan Phillips and Lucie Buchbinder, low-income housing specialists, whose tenants asked them to start a job-training program in 2000 when the recession hit. After some research, they found that baking was not only a trade that was growing and in need of people who had been trained in it but it was also a trade that didn't require a diploma, a clean criminal record or the ability to speak English fluently. Now, 10 years after its inception, The Bread Project has moved into an 8,000 square foot facility that is equipped to train 200 people per year. To date, 700 plus students have graduated from the programs and 550 of these students have been placed in jobs. Residents, businesses and visitors coming to town can support The Bread Project by visiting its bakery, run by the students, at 1555 Park Avenue, Emeryville, CA.
Cathedral Kitchen
1514 Federal Street
Camden, New Jersey 08105
856 - 964-6771
The Cathedral Kitchen has been around for 30 years. It was originally started by four 18-19 year- olds who had gone to see Mother Theresa and were so inspired by her generosity and kindness that they decided to start a soup kitchen. Cathedral Kitchen has come a long way in the past three decades. Now in addition to serving hot meals for those in need, it provides free dental and medical care and has a 16-week Culinary Arts Training Program. Chef Jonathan, who everyone lovingly refers to as "Chef Hollywood" due to his charm, kindness and commitment to his students, instructs the Culinary Arts Training Program, which has been the most recent endeavor taken on by the Cathedral Kitchen. The training program can accommodate 40 students per year, mostly African-American men, and assists all its graduates in finding jobs.
Although all of these organizations differ in small ways, they all have in common a faith in the altruism of humans as well as our uncanny ability to adapt, change and move forward. These organizations depend upon everyday people to put their egos aside and give something of themselves to benefit another human being.
