Guns and Salads
One Woman’s Mission to Extend a Hand to At-Risk Youth
by Rachael Waldman Kiselev
ne
doesn’t creating a really fun place “but I did really learn to love
normally con- to work at – I think that’s re- entrepreneurship .” Growing nect catering ally important, too. It’s cre- up middle class in Orange to rescuing at- ating community that way, County as one of the only risk youths. Yet that’s exactly and having people feel re- brown kids in her school, she what Sabrina Mutukisna sets ally connected to our young became hyperaware of her out to do, each and every people in a way that’s really nationality and how closely day at The Town Kitchen in meaningful and will last be- she held her heritage to her the heart of Oakland.
yond their work experience heart. “When I was younger,
“Food is community,” with us, too.” Sabrina states with brevity. “I
A child of Sri-Lankan we went to a lot of Sri-Lankan
was at a conference and we immigrants,
Sabrina
Mu- cultural events. Definitely in
had to come up with our mis- tukisna worked in her family
m i d d l e
sion and motto, and mine is owned dry cleaners through-
school, I
to create an America where out middle and high school,
w a s
every young person has ac- and was always around small
very
cess to a great job and great business
growing
up.
“I
education. And really making didn’t particularly like work- that sure that making my values ing in the dry cleaners,” she are aligned with that, and comments with a laugh,
2
aware
I was a brown kid and I white faced. And where in- Rate, “The homicide statishad friends, for sure. But I tolerance exists, so do the tics in Oakland are currently at thought about race a lot. And effects of socioeconomic sta- such a high level, even when I thought, ‘oh, life would be tus on the life chances and the crime decreases it’s well easier if I was white.’ So I kind choices of adolescents. of went from being younger
above the national average
“...the at-risk problem as far as homicides and crime
and being excited about Sri- with our youth has become statistics.” But when Sabrina Lankan culture to resenting a nationwide problem that talks about her city, that’s not it when I was in middle and “has social and economic im- the picture she paints. “Oakhigh
school,
land
is
re-
almost to be-
ally interest-
ing at odds
ing because
with it,” Sabri-
there is so
na reminisces.
much chang-
W h e n
ing so fast,
she got to col-
and there are
lege, the game
so many con-
changed. De-
versations
ciding to take
happening
ownership of
around equi-
her culture, Sa-
ty and culture
brina joined an Indian soror- plications for individuals and and racial diversity, and there ity. She didn’t feel as though for society” (Lunenburg).
are conversations about how
Sabrina’s passion to- we can impact crime but still ther. Sabrina recants the dis- wards helping youths became maintain the vibrancy of Oakshe fit in that community, ei-
connect from the rest of her a desire for transforming her land. And so for me it’s like, friends and surroundings she community. When most peo- I really think that the way we felt due to her skin color, and ple think of Oakland, words make change happen is crehow hyper aware she became like “ghetto” and “crime” ating opportunity – real opof the prejudice and discrimi- come to mind.
According portunity – in a community.” nation those who weren’t to the Oakland Homicide
3
On my visit to The Town
world for our young people, ways volunteered because
Kitchen, I noted the variety
but we first need to get them it’s fun, and it makes you
of employees. Most of them
in jobs they love and sur- feel good.” Working in San
looked like they’d be more
rounded by people who are Francisco,Sabrina
suited to baggy jeans, not
invested in their futures.” A with the California Teach-
the crisp white chef’s coats
support system she didn’t er
they all donned. And yet all
have as a child, considering at-risk college students in
the youth had a fluidity about
her parents both worked full their paths to become teach-
the kitchen; it was their kitch-
time.
en, and they knew it. I was an
Being
worked
Path way to support
ers and youth workers in first
genera- low-income neighborhoods.
outsider, and they regarded tion, there was an enormous Working with youth, she reme as such. And yet there pressure on Sabrina to make alized her passion for helpwas so much cheerful chatter go- her parents’ trek to America ing cultivate individuals to ing on above the rowdy rap blar- worthwhile. After graduat- rise to their potential. “...the ing from the corner of t he ing from UC Berkeley with main thing about working kitchen out of someone’s a degree in Cinematic Arts, with at risk youth is helping phone. The sense of family Sabrina went on to work in them have access to opporand companionship that can law briefly, and then into the tunity. When I was in middle only come from a common world of nonprofits and out- and high school, I was really goal in a communal work- reach programs. space was palpable. Later, as Sabrina set me to make lunch boxes (yes, they fold each and every box there), she commented on how she and ex-Google executive chef and co-founder of The Town Kitchen Jefferson Sevilla set out to help the youth of Oakland:. ”We know we can create a better
4
aware of how I couldn’t go
“I don’t know, I’ve al- on certain field trips or pay
for college… Working in the than 50 dollars, and ever run the hopes of keeping youth Mission and Bay View but also away.” (U.S.D.H.H.S) Areas off the streets of dangerous working in
Pac
Heights and
the
Marina, and it was then that I realized, like,
you
k n o w , there was s o m e t h i n g a b o u t working with the at risk youth that was life changing for them.” Sabrina talks about her youths as though they’re her family. Her adoration and respect is unwavering and admirable. “Youth
from
low-in-
come families are more likely than youth from middle- and high-income families to have sex before age 16, become a member of a gang, attack someone or get into a fight, steal something worth more
with a lower socioeconomic neighborhoods; these prostatus have a direct correla- grams can help lower the tion with cultivating at-risk crime rate as well as provide youth. A large part of this skills and services that may problem is that the youth not be learned/offered in cannot access services that the school or home environcould help garner them a ments. The Town Kitchen sets chance at a life outside the out to bring at-risk youth into expected path.
the world of entrepreneur-
After school programs ship as well as teach them such as the Boys and Girls valuable skills in the kitchen, Club and the Oakland Fund such as teamwork, work ethfor Children & Youth offer ic, and responsibility. a plethora of options that
When asked about her
have been implemented in future, there is no uncertain5
ty in Sabrina’s vaguity. “Just being open to possibilities is where I’m at.” For the Town Kitchen, however, she is more clear. Talks of expansion into other low income areas, such as Detroit, have been in the works, and she hopes to continue to help the Kitchen grow into not only a larger company, but a larger community.
“Just being open to possibilities is where I’m at.”
6