The Downtown Hope Center features a commercial-sized kitchen that hosts the Feed Me Hope Culinary Program, which provides entry and intermediate-level skills to enhance employability in the food service industry for both men and women. All culinary students participate in a class called Kitchen Skills, where they receive classroom instruction and hands-on training from their culinary instructor.

 

Students are assigned various kitchen responsibilities and duties to ensure they gain experience in different roles. They work closely with kitchen staff and community volunteers, and under the guidance of their culinary instructor, they prepare dinner each night for up to 75 women staying at the Downtown Hope Center's Women’s Shelter. Additionally, all culinary students complete an online test to obtain the Municipality of Anchorage Food Handler’s card.

 

In Job Skills, students are given tools and strategies that yield advantages over other job applicants or employees. Students learn positive work ethics, values, and attitudes while discovering Biblical principles on various topics. Students also learn basic financial literacy, through extensive job interview preparation- including a mock interview- and several weeks before graduation is dedicated specifically to job search.

 

Life Transformation provides students the opportunity to address their addictions, trauma, anger, and other life-dominating issues that have been barriers to past success. The curriculum involves working through deep-rooted and life-dominating issues where they can be processed and addressed, allowing for healing and positive change. A weekly chapel service is also included.

 

By the time students complete the program, students should excel in what we call the Ten Core Competencies: Attendance, Personal Responsibility, Coachability, Food Safety, Time Management, Customer Service, Knife Skills, Culinary/Bakery Knowledge & Skills, Equipment Knowledge, and Kitchen Math. We have seen a remarkable transformation in the lives of our students as they begin to walk into their healthy futures.