Nov 16, 2007 4:35 pm US/Central
Tarrant Food Bank Teaches Cooking, Life Skills
FORT WORTH (CBS 11 / TXA 21) ―
A criminal background or history of drug and alcohol use can be a major stumbling block for those looking for full-time work. However, on Saturday, seven Tarrant County residents will be given a new lease on life and a better shot at a job when they graduate from the 'community kitchen.'
The 16-week course with the Tarrant Area Food Bank Community Kitchen is designed to give willing workers a second chance. "We try to make this a comprehensive approach, so people can begin to think about the choices they've made and think about, maybe, why they made those choices," said Lylette Pharr of the Tarrant Area Food Bank.
The first 12 weeks of the class are spent with professional chef Vdat Lika. The last four weeks are spent as an intern.
"Not only are we teaching them basic cooking skills, we're doing life skills upstairs, job readiness," explained Chef Lika. "Get them ready for food managers course and everything else."
Linda Powell is one of those seven graduates. She is learning an entirely new trade, the ins and outs of a professional kitchen. "You can always learn something from someone," she said. "I've served on the line, prepped for the next day. Every day is a learning experience."
Powell's former career as a certified nurse and medical assistant ended because of drug addiction, a mistake which, until now, has prevented her from finding a new job.
"You're never too old to learn. You're never too wise to grow," Powell said. "The choices we make in life will follow us wherever we go."
Powell spent her internship at the Union Gospel Mission. She has now been offered a full-time job. "If you believe and put forth the effort, things can change. I'm a living witness," she said.
After Saturday, the program will have had 17 graduates since the beginning of this year, more than 80 percent of which have gotten full-time jobs in the food service industry.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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