Some kids dream of being astronauts or doctors. Pascale dreamt of becoming a chef. Growing up in Haiti, she envisioned a future where she would fuse Caribbean flavors with different cuisines. She left her homeland to pursue stability, opportunity and culinary dreams. Pascale enrolled in Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida's free, 16-week Culinary Training … [Read more...] about Transforming Lives: Pascale’s Story
new career
Second Harvest’s Culinary Training Program Marks 10 Years, Looks Ahead to Celebrating More Student Success
Any long-term, sustainable solution to hunger must involve work to feed the line of people seeking help and shorten it. Second Harvest's Culinary Training Program has been doing just that for ten years. The Second Harvest Culinary Training Program is a continuing education opportunity offering adults facing barriers to employment the culinary and life skills … [Read more...] about Second Harvest’s Culinary Training Program Marks 10 Years, Looks Ahead to Celebrating More Student Success
Transforming Lives: Elvin’s Story
Elvin loves to be around people. In his hometown of Ponce, Puerto Rico, he worked in hospitality for 20 years. But “I lost my job in 2020, as a lot of people did, because of the pandemic,” Elvin said. He and his family moved to Orlando to offer better support to his son, who has special needs. Despite Elvin’s decades of experience, he could not find a job for almost a … [Read more...] about Transforming Lives: Elvin’s Story
P is for Persistence.
It took three tries for Paul to complete Second Harvest’s Culinary Training Program. “For me, the saying ‘third time’s a charm’ couldn’t be truer,” said Paul. When he first started the program, he couldn’t focus. The pandemic only made things worse. He didn’t have any income and transportation was a challenge. Helping his mom with her catering business gave him the … [Read more...] about P is for Persistence.
“This Program is Changing Me.”
Every morning Yolanda looks up at the wall inside the Culinary Training Program classroom to reads, "To find joy in work is to discover the fountain of youth." This quote by Pearl S. Buck affirms her decision to go back to school. “I was raised by my grandmother and became her caretaker for the last several years,” she explains. “Now I am turning back the clock, going to … [Read more...] about “This Program is Changing Me.”
