BOSTON — The spring graduation season is upon us and a small, but mighty group just completed their culinary training. Nearly half a dozen students graduated from the Salvation Army’s Boston Kroc Culinary Arts Program—-including a single mom of twin four-year-old girls who is living in a shelter—and never thought she’d be able to complete the program and graduate without any student debt.
Inside the Salvation Army Kroc Center in Dorchester, students have been cooking up recipes in the culinary arts training program and learning the skills they need to work in the culinary field. Program Manager Chef Jesse Perez has been teaching a small class for the last ten weeks. And it’s not all just about cooking.
“We do life skills where they come in, they gather in the classroom., they do resumes, we get them ready to do interviews, cover letters and stuff like that,” said Program Manager Chef Jesse Perez. “Also, it’s a way for them to learn how to gather together and work as a team before they get to the classroom downstairs.”
In the kitchen, Chef Jesse teaches them knife skills, recipes and how to organize for the day.
“They somewhat know about ingredients, flavors and stuff like that, but we teach them how to do it,” said Perez.
After having to leave her job at Beth Isreal as a medical assistant to take care of her four-year-old twins, Cryse Hernandez has found her place in the kitchen.
“I’ve been wanting to do culinary, but for reasons of life, you know, I just haven’t had the chance to do it,” said Cryse Hernandez, a student in the program. “So now I’m here and I’m happy.”
But as a single mom living in a shelter and taking care of her twin four-year-old girls, Cryse wasn’t sure how she was going to fit this training program in her schedule.
“I wasn’t even going to be coming to this program in the first place because of how tight my hours are,” said Hernandez.
“So, I made a call, and I said, we will find a way for you to finish the program,” said Perez. “She’s like, I don’t have no one to wash my kids. I said, worry about that, and I worry how you’re going to make those credits and she was able to commit to the time.”
“It was like a weight off my shoulders,” said Hernandez. “I was like, yes, thank God, now I can like finally just really do what I want.”
250 hours of training later—-Cryse is a certified food handler and Servsafe manager. And now that Cryse has graduated, she is excited for the opportunities that will come her way.
“I do want to maybe one day, start my own business because I do enjoy cooking and like making my own money would be great,” said Hernandez.
The program helps students in need with no tuition costs, allowing them to graduate free of student debt. And on top of culinary skills, they receive life coaching and create lasting friendships—which Chef Jesse hopes will help them along the way.
“I think it’s a way of us trying to find a way to impact their life so they can get ready to the real world, and I think it’s a bit of training in personal life, knife skills, kitchen and life coaching, so it’s all combined together,” said Perez.
The Salvation Army’s Kroc Culinary Arts Training Program has seen graduates open their own restaurants and start their own personal catering. Chef Jesse says for these recent graduates—three companies are already reaching out looking to hire.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
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