Getting on Track to a Tasty Career

Twenty-year-old Brandon loves to cook.  Not only does the young man enjoy preparing tasty dishes, it turns out that he is exceptionally good at it.  Employed as a pantry chef by the renowned Café Adelaide in the Loews Hotel in New Orleans, in only one year, Brandon is moving up in the organization of 200 employees after earning two promotions and an Employee of the Month award.  But Brandon didn’t come from a well-known program like the Culinary Institute of America like one might expect, he started learning his craft at a neighborhood nonprofit, Café Reconcile, several blocks up the street from the hotel where he works now.
Brandon and 600 other young people have gained valuable knowledge and experience through the Café Reconcile Culinary Training Program.  New Orleans’ and Louisiana’s economy relies heavily on the cultural industry including tourism, cusine and entertainment, and the Café’s training provides young people a pathway to a career.  Since it began in 2000, students have completed the program and obtained employment in local restaurants, hotels, hospitals and universities.
The Foundation for the Mid South recently provided a $90,000 grant to Café Reconcile to grow the program, enabling them to serve more youth and expand their services.  What makes this organization appealing to the Foundation is that they have a long view.  The Café provides workforce training and successfully prepares young people for good jobs, but it also offers a holistic approach to helping young men and woman succeed in life.  One way they are doing this is by offering counseling and mental health services to students.
By the end of the program, students have the skills they need as well as the mental and emotional well-being to keep a job and excel at their places of employment.  “I can’t imagine working at a better place,” Brandon says.  “The people here are very supportive and want me to succeed.  I’m learning everything I can.”  Brandon says this experience is preparing him for his next step:  to go to culinary school and become an executive chef.