Food For Life

Food For Life began in March 2011 as a short-term culinary training opportunity/catering venture for DC high school graduates who are unemployed, unederemployed and with limted educational/vocational options.

Once a week, a small group entered a positive and supportive kitchen environment where they learned professional culinary skills by preparing a 2-3 course dinner of "gourmet takeout" for up to 50 people.

In August 2011, we reached the official end of a six-month pilot program. In talking with the 15 students who have participated in the program, here's something that we learned:

“It’s a good place for teenagers to mature and grow up. It helps people who are trying to better themselves. The program builds motivation so that they can do whatever they put their mind to. A lot of teenagers need the help but they’re going in the wrong direction. I hope others can benefit [from the program] too.” - AJ, 18 years old

For the next few months, we will focus on taking all that we’ve learned in the past six months, all that the students have shared, and turn Food For Life into a full-time program no later than March 2012.