First Community Kitchen Grads Prepare for Jobs

Fox44.net
Posted: May 8, 2009 09:24 PM

The distance from the seats to the podium in Burlington’s Chittenden Emergency Food Shelf for new graduates Friday was less than 25 feet. But one look at their faces and you realized the journey they took to get there was a lot longer.

“They’ve given me the experience and lessons that I didn’t think I’ve ever learn,” said graduate Kendra Payea.

The seven women, ranging in age from their 20’s to mid 50’s, are single mothers struggling on low incomes.

They were picked out of pool of about 40 to take part in a unique program called the Community Kitchen.

It’s a 14 week culinary job training program that gives them the skills they need to work in the food service industry.

For Kendra, the idea of learning how to cook was just a dream.

“If it came in a box and had directions I could do it,” she said.

Now her knife skills are almost as sharp as her interviewing skills.

“It’s been amazing to watch the metamorphosis that’s happened in front of us from women who never picked up a spatula to flip an egg to people making coq au van,” said Kris Degenhardt from Vermont Adult Learning.

The food made in the classes was served to people through the food shelf. The skills, taught by professional chefs and the experiences learned there are designed to help take those single moms from a life filled with financial struggle to a lifelong career.