Triad Community Kitchen Graduation

Congratulations to Chef Jef Bacon and the Eta Class of Traid Community Kitchen. The class graduates today. Chef Jeff reports that 2 of the graduates already have jobs and the others have great prospects!

Students who attend Triad Community Kitchen’s free, 10-week culinary training program - the only one of its kind in Northwest NC, are referred by program partners like Goodwill Industries of Northwest NC and generally are underemployed or unemployed and in some cases homeless. Throughout the 10-week session, students have the opportunity to “give back” to Second Harvest Food Bank as they use donated and purchased food to produce vacuum sealed, ready-to-heat meals in bags for distribution to our partner agencies. The ultimate goal for graduates of the program is to secure sustainable, gainful employment in the understaffed food service and hospitality industries.

Under the direction of Chef Jeff Bacon, a certified executive chef, students participate in a ten-week curriculum designed by Guilford Technical College's Culinary Program. The class is offered at no charge to the student and bus passes are available. Students are trained and certified in ServSafe® sanitation and learn basic culinary skills, knife skills, kitchen safety, mass food production and cook chill technology. Real world job experience is gained through a one-week internship with a local food service organization or restaurant, preparing participants for sustainable, gainful employment in the under staffed food service and hospitality industries.

Overcoming the barriers to employment that many Triad Community Kitchen students have faced is an important key to their ultimate success. For this reason, the program incorporates instruction and activities designed to help them improve their level of workplace readiness. A national program of America’s Second Harvest -The Nation’s Food Bank Network, there are currently 38 network members operating Community Kitchens across the nation, and an additional 50 independently operated programs.

Class Schedule Through December 2008
Theta Class Starts: June 9, 2008-- Graduation: Aug. 25
Iota Class Starts: Sept. 2, 2008-- Graduation: Nov. 10
Kappa Class Starts:Nov. 17, 2008-- Graduation: Feb. 9


For general questions about the program, contact Program Director/Executive Chef Jeff Bacon at (336) 784-5770 or jbacon@secondharvest.org.

To apply to enter the program, download and complete the application. For assistance regarding the application process, contact Ms. Rosa Williams at Goodwill Industries at (336) 724-3625.