We are making great progress in the culinary program at Housed Working and Healthy. Click here to see the Video So much so that the first cohort of students has completed their initial round of training and earned their phase one graduation certificates. Five students. Five Graduates. This is their story.
Victoria C.
When she was working on her speech on Friday afternoon, and through the weekend, Victoria was extremely nervous. She was asked to say a few words at the graduation of the first cohort of students to complete the culinary curriculum at Housed Working and Healthy. Victoria was speaking on behalf of all the students in graduating class number one, and she felt the pressure.
When the ceremony came on Monday, Victory was calm and prepared. Her nervousness gave way to confidence that comes with pride in accomplishment. She beamed as she shared about the progress that the whole class had made.
As the first group to go through the program, Victoria realized that they were setting the expectations for the classes that would follow. The experience had not only filled her with pride, but it changed her relationship with food. She used to think of cooking as something she would, “hurry up and get it over with.” Now, Victoria has learned to, “Enjoy, slow down and taste,” her food. HER food that she prepared with love, for others to enjoy.
Deanna L.
She knows how important her roles as a mom and a wife truly are. But for Deanna, she wanted something more. She needed something more. And the culinary program at Housed Working and Healthy gives her a sense of accomplishment that had been missing her whole life.
Deanna is proud to have graduated with the first class to come through this innovative new job-training program. She doesn’t know where she’ll take her culinary skills next, but she is excited about what she has learned. Most of all, she’s thrilled and content to have completed something that’s all her own. Instilling pride and confidence is what the Housed Working and Healthy Program is all about!
Gabriel M.
Gabe admits that when it comes to cooking, he was filled with self doubt when he joined the Housed Working and Healthy program. He found confidence in the connection – the working together that helped the kitchen team to thrive. Gabe found a love of baking in the first phase of the program. And he is so impressed with the way Chef Instructor, Suzanne Long, teaches with patience and enthusiasm, he might want to instruct himself someday. For now, he is proud of the leg-up his culinary experience will give him to work in the vibrant Denver restaurant scene.
M–a S.
M–a is not just a chef graduate of the Housed Working and Healthy culinary program, she is a visionary with an eye on the bigger picture. “There is potential to do huge things,” is how M–a answered when asked what she thinks of the HWH mission. And she is excited not just for the future of this nonprofit, she is inspired to build a better future for herself, too. She has hopes for opening her own business someday using the skills learned in the kitchen with her friends in this first graduating class.
Benita B.
She didn’t know what to anticipate when she walked into the kitchen for the first time, months ago, but she is sure she learned far more than she expected. Benita grew up cooking by adding a pinch of this and a pinch of that. Measurement, precision and following a recipe were both foreign and intimidating at the beginning. But the combination of instruction and real-world practice Benita received in the kitchen helped her bring her culinary skills to the next level. Now Benita loves ot discuss the food profiles in different dishes and apply her learning to her appreciation of life.
If you’d like to learn more about the graduation ceremony, we encourage you to check out these videos from the celebration. Listen to Victoria’s speech delivered with the confidence of someone who knows her way around the culinary world. That’s confidence gained in phase one of the culinary program at Housed Working and Healthy.
Can You Help?
If you are inspired to help us make this mission thrive, we could really use your help as a Housed Working and Healthy volunteer. Right now, we are in search of someone to help us with social media for five to ten hours per month. The success of our efforts depends on spreading the good word. If you would enjoy helping us tell this story, please reply to this email and let’s talk about it!
