Creating Jobs and Sustaining Hope for Seattle’s Most Disadvantaged

Nov 02, 2011

See How We Support Culinary Training

TRANSCRIPT – GIVING THE HOMELESS IN SEATTLE A FRESH START IN LIFE

Megan Karch, Executive Director, FareStart: I feel like I was very fortunate in life. My family gave me a sense of connection, a sense of community. That was gift, it wasn’t something I earned. Students that walk through our door either were never given that or they lost it for one reason or another. And our job is to give it back to them. We’re helping individuals who are homeless or at risk for being homeless, learn a trade, get a job, and take back their life.

Trenita Harris, Chef Trainer, FareStart: We have people that walk in on day one and they sit in a corner and they don’t want to speak with anyone or work with anyone. By day 10, they’re in with the group. Now you’re having conversation. I am a chef trainer here at FareStart making sure they’re prepared to take a knife test. That they can multiply and divide a recipe that they have the skills to get those jobs done.

Than Nguyen, Employee Specialist Manager, FareStart: FareStart is not just kitchen skills but also life skills. How do you do interviews, how do you talk to your supervisor?

Megan Karch, Executive Director, FareStart: We’re providing case management, mental health counseling, drug and alcohol counseling. All of the support services that they would need and we provide housing for that.

Steve Douglas, Graduate, FareStart: The opportunity to come here and to learn everything from commercial kitchens to restaurant cooking to prep cooking, every area has been new for me so it’s been exciting every day and I’ve loved every minute of it.

Megan Karch, Executive Director, FareStart: We have strong partnerships with restaurants, assisted living centers, and the partnerships really help create the opportunities for our students once they graduate.

Megan Karch, Executive Director, FareStart: FareStart is in downtown Seattle where business people are because that’s critical to connect community to the issue of homelessness.

Bob Peters, Washington State President, Bank of America: We’ve taken both clients and groups within the bag down to FareStart. It’s more than the meal. It reminds us to support non-profits. Our whole community benefits from that. And FareStart is an excellent example of what is possible.

Megan Karch, Executive Director, FareStart: We have about 300 individuals in our training program. Every year over 80% of them are getting jobs within 90 days after graduation. 85% are achieving housing stability – that’s how we define success. The community gave us this fabulous new building. So we’ve been able to double the number of students. And our Bank of America grant was a large reason we were able to do that. We’re expanding our business side into wholesale food and we’re helping people throughout the country start similar models in their city.

Steve Douglas, Graduate, FareStart: They want you to be successful and they give you the tools to do that; that doesn’t happen everywhere. It’s the best gift I’ve ever been given.

Trenita Harris, Chef Trainer, FareStart: I can use my skill, my craft to help somebody help themselves.

Megan Karch, Executive Director, FareStart: When you impact one life, you impact many. And you see wow, we’ve not only had an impact on one of our students but we’ve had an impact on their kids and that next generation.

Steve Douglas, Graduate, FareStart: I can be a father again, I can be employable again and actually have a future again.

Creating Jobs and Sustaining Hope for Seattle’s Most Disadvantaged

In a state with 9.1 percent unemployment, possessing practical job skills and knowledge is crucial to successfully entering the workforce and sustaining a position. FareStart, a Seattle-based culinary job training and placement program, is addressing that need by providing training to enable homeless and disadvantaged individuals to step out of unemployment and into the food service industry. Since 1998, nearly 3,500 people across the Seattle region have transformed their lives through this program.

Recognizing FareStart’s role in priming a workforce of self-sufficient and employable Seattleites, Bank of America recently awarded a $15,000 grant to support FareStart’s Adult Culinary Job Training program. The contribution stems from the bank’s consistent financial support since 2006. Over the last decade, the bank has awarded numerous grants to FareStart and named the organization a Neighborhood Excellence Initiative Builder Award winner in 2009, providing it with $200,000 in unrestricted funding.

“It’s more than a meal. It reminds us to support nonprofits,” said Bob Peters, Washington State President at Bank of America. “Our whole community benefits from that and FareStart is an excellent example of what is possible.”

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Creating Jobs and Sustaining Hope for Seattle’s Most Disadvantaged

Creating Jobs and Sustaining Hope for Seattle’s Most Disadvantaged

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