Food Gatherers – the food rescue and food bank program serving Washtenaw County, Michigan – launched a Community Kitchen in November, 2003.  Sharing a building with the Shelter Association of Washtenaw County, the Community Kitchen provides free hot meals 7 days a week, and has already served more than 150,000 plates of food.  The mission of Food Gatherers’ Community Kitchen is to use collective resources more efficiently to feed people in need, and to use food as a tool to engage and nourish the entire community.  An important component of this mission – a culinary job-training program – welcomed its first group of students in July, 2005.  Food Gatherers’ Community Kitchen Job Training Program provides low-income and at-risk youth (ages 17-22) with instruction in basic culinary arts, food safety and sanitation, work ethics, and life skills.  During their 6-week training, students in the Community Kitchen program produce meals for the community while learning valuable skills.  Providing young adults with job training at the beginning of their independent years will build a firm foundation for future success and self-sufficiency, increasing prospects for higher-paying jobs while decreasing the chances of entering the shelter system or other emergency services. 

Food Gatherers is currently partnering with two youth programs, Arbor Heights and Ozone House. Arbor Heights is a residential facility in the State of Michigan’s Bureau of Juvenile Justice and is a low security placement for teenagers ages 13-19.  Arbor Heights’ residents have a structured and supportive environment but a lack of hands-on training opportunities.  Ozone House performs outreach to more than 3,000 youth in Washtenaw County.  They provide temporary and transitional housing and feed, support and enrich the lives of homeless, low income and at-risk youth.  Ozone House will use their current job skills, placement and retention programs to assist our staff in securing long-term and successful employment for the students.  Food Gatherers has also partnered with local food businesses to offer employment opportunities, and with Washtenaw Community College, which offers financial aid in their open-enrollment Culinary Arts Program for qualified students who wish to pursue a Culinary Degree. 

Food Gatherers will build upon the success of the first graduating class and will hold the next two training sessions in Spring and Summer of 2006.  Food production and meal service continues throughout the year with the help of volunteers.  For more information on Food Gatherers’ Community Kitchen or the Job Training Program, please contact info@foodgatherers.org .