Food and Community Food Programs Connecting to the Community

Food Programs Connecting to the Community

by Maggie Allen

Poverty, hunger, and homelessness; three issues that are inextricably linked to one another. Extreme hunger has been linked to everything from poor sleep to inability to focus, and even to issues with learning and cognitive function. According to Feeding America, “Research shows an association between food insecurity and delayed development in young children; risk of chronic illnesses like asthma and anemia; and behavioral problems like hyperactivity, anxiety and aggression in school-age children.”

Growing up with this kind of environment can cause lasting damage. While some children are fed by school programs, at best those are but one to two meals a day. As for adults, the poorest areas are often subject to a phenomenon called ‘food deserts,’ in which close, convenient access to healthy foods are limited or non-existent. Gas stations and fast food restaurants fill the gap, preying upon people’s exhaustion and their need for quick, prepared options. But despite dollar menus and coupons, many of these foods end up being more expensive in the long run.

And on top of all that, society-at-large often shames people for poor health, sometimes without even considering individual situations that make these aspects of life inevitable. The shame, the stress, the exhaustion of constantly working to feed and house oneself and one’s family, sometimes never more than an emergency bill away from crippling debt or starvation, is enough to beat anyone down.

Food insecurity not only impacts families, but entire communities. Hunger goes hand in hand with health and wellbeing; where one is lacking, the other is sure to be as well. And while there are many factors at play, one of the worst is the lack of financial investment and support in the areas that need it most. Businesses and good, stable jobs go elsewhere and with no help from the government and social services, the people left behind can neither enrich nor escape their situations. Those who are most desperate will struggle, starve, or survive by any means necessary.

We’ve highlighted a couple of organizations that seek to break these vicious cycles, both by providing good food and good career opportunities. We can see that there is so much more good we can do by investing in the training and care of our communities.

FareStart

For about 30 years, FareStart’s restaurants, cafes, catering and programs have provided meals to social services, shelters, and schools in the Seattle area. They prepare and deliver more than 2,500 hot meals every day around the Puget Sound area. In addition, participants in their work programs gain practical work experience while helping to bolster their own neighborhoods, as well as break down their own personal barriers to secure employment and financial stability.

FareStart advertises four main job training programs on their site, now with a pandemicfriendly virtual option. It is worth noting that the Adult and Young Adult Barista Program is for those between ages 16-24 with insecure housing.

The Adult Culinary program offers 8-weeks of virtual training, as well “technology needed to participate in the program.” FareStart supports participants by providing: resume and computer skills; interview coaching; job search assistance; financial planning; and six months of support services after a job has been secured. The program is free with a $100 a week stipend, and as long as the participant stays clean and sober, FareStart will also assist them with finding housing, transportation, and dependency and mental health counseling. The Foodservice Apprenticeship is currently on hold due to Covid-19, but typically offers hands-on experience in actual restaurants with 10-24 weeks of paid, on-the-job training. The program requirements are a little more strict, as participants need to have stable housing and at least 6 months of food service experience. Everyone is assigned a one-onone career specialist, who offers support career coaching; job search assistance; and resume and interview skills, among others.

In 2011, FareStart launched an ambitious new initiative, Catalyst Kitchens, in order to share their unique business model with nonprofit organizations all across the country.

DC Central Kitchen

Photo Courtesy of DC Central Kitchen

DC Central Kitchen (DCCK) is a nonprofit founded by Robert Egger, a former hunger and homelessnessfocused volunteer. He wanted to “turn the soup kitchen model on its head” by “involved picking up wasted food (which people said was unwise), turning it into balanced meals for shelters and nonprofits (which people said was unsustainable), and using that process to train jobless adults in the culinary arts (which people said was impossible). Now, his organization serves the DC community by providing farm fresh meals to schools; delivering fresh and affordable produce to corner stores in neighborhoods without easily accessible supermarkets; and operating a fast-casual cafe.

DCCK also offers hands-on culinary job training for individuals facing high barriers to employment, and creates living-wage jobs. “We welcome students who face barriers to employment, including histories of incarceration, substance abuse, trauma, homelessness, or long-term joblessness.”

DCCK’s Culinary Job Training program is certified by the Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE) and recognized by the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation and the American Culinary Federation Education Foundation for quality programming and industry-recognized credentials. There are two culinary job training offerings: one at their headquarters, which is focused on adults, culinary credentials, and internships, and another at their own cafe, with a focus on hands-on, staff-guided training for those aged 18-24 and not attending other work or school. Internship opportunities are available with top restaurants, large hotel chains, hospitals, and universities, among others, and DCCK provides other post-graduation support, such as housing and childcare referrals, for up to one year.

And even in the wake of the pandemic, DCCK has not broken stride. They are still serving nutritious meals to children at nine DC schools, ensuring that free school meals are still accessible even with distance learning. DCCK is also delivering tens of thousands of healthy meals weekly to shelters, senior citizens, and front-line nonprofits; distributing 5,000 bags of fresh, local produce at schools and partner nonprofits; providing deeply

Photo courtesy of DC Central Kitchen

discounted fresh produce to corner stores in neighborhoods without grocery stores; and supporting grassroots mutual aid networks of neighbors helping neighbors by supplying free meals, bagged produce, and infant formula.

Kitchens for Good by Nat Rodriguez-Steen

Kitchens for Good (KFG) was found in 2014 out of the belief that food has power and can have a transformative effect on communities in various ways. KFG also strongly believes in the power of people and that all people have potential. The organization started to combat food waste in order to provide for those in need but expanded to help those who struggle from hunger and food insecurity through economic self-sufficiency. KFG created a culinary apprenticeship program to provide training to individuals who have overcome histories of incarceration, homelessness, foster care, mental health issues, or domestic violence. The program, called Project Launch, is tuition free Photo courtesy of Kitchens for Good Instagram page and lasts for 20 months in order to annually prepare 150 individuals for the workforce. Culinary, baking, and food service management are possible tracts that an individual can pursue during the course of the program. KFG has an 85% employment rate for culinary graduates with an average starting wage of $13.25 per hour. In conjunction with Project Launch, KFG has three other projects that tackle food waste and build culinary skills for their apprentices. Through Project Reclaim, local famers and wholesalers provide cosmetically imperfect and surplus fruits and vegetables to the KFG. Culinary students use this opportunity to practice their culinary skills while reducing food waste. Additionally, Project Nourish helps to reduce food waste, provide nutritious meals, and fight hunger by providing meals to children, seniors, and the unsheltered. KFG’s Project Kitchen helps to provide funding to other programs through catering and contract meal services. The catering operation has generated $4.9 million in earned income and provided over 50% of the organization’s budget to help fund programs targeted at food waste reduction, providing nutritious meals, and training. The organization has helped to provide economic opportunities while combating food waste and hunger in order to enrich the community and promote sustainability.