CULINARY JOB TRAINING

The Tarrant Area Food Bank Community Kitchen provides free culinary job training to unemployed and low-income men and women and at the same time provides nutritious meals to partner charities.

Professional chefs on the Food Bank's staff teach a 14-week course in food preparation and service. Each student then serves a two-week, unpaid internship in a food service setting.

In addition, coaching in life- and time-management skills is provided to the students, some of whom may be unemployed, homeless or temporarily dependent on welfare.  The Food Bank also contracts with The Women's Center of Tarrant County for a case manager to provide, for all course participants, career coaching relating to job readiness and job retention.

Eligibility Criteria

Before a student is referred to the Community Kitchen program, he or she must meet some specific criteria (download one-page PDF). Most students are referred to the program by not-for-profit agencies such as the Salvation Army, Women's Center of Tarrant County and Workforce Solutions of Tarrant County.

Graduation

Class 13 graduated nine students in February 2011 as the first class with a 100% graduation rate. They were the seventh class to graduate since the program moved into its new kitchen in the Food Bank's warehouse.