Profile: St. Mary's Food Bank Alliance

The purpose of the Community Kitchen program is to provide training and job placement to low-income adults in the foodservice industry, while feeding the hungry. The training program helps people struggling with unemployment and poverty gain the skills they need for jobs that offer a living wage, benefits and opportunity for advancement. While training, students help their community by turning donated food into prepared meals for people in need.

The program offers year-round classes with new classes every 15 weeks. Students learn foodservice skills through hands-on cooking and culinary classroom studies. Students spend time in the classroom learning life skills to help students succeed in the workplace. Two of the 15 weeks are set aside for internships, where students work in the kitchens of local businesses, including resorts, hospitals and corporate cafeterias.

The staff provides support to each student, helping them address personal issues that may arise over the course of the program. The program provides job placement and continued support for a 12-month period following graduation, providing guidance for career development.

Click here to view our 14 week curriculum