Dear FareStart Community,
The year is already off to an exciting start here at FareStart.
Our cafés in South Lake Union and Beacon Hill buzz with customers and young adults learning new barista and customer service skills. Earlier this month, we launched a new Box Lunch social enterprise with made-to-order sandwiches and salads prepared by FareStart students and our chefs. After a nearly four-year hiatus, we joyfully relaunched Guest Chef Night in January, bringing together our community to celebrate students and enjoy an incredible meal.
And we have more plans in the works. As we continue to rebuild post-pandemic, we are focused on two interconnected priorities:
- Enhance and expand on-the-job training opportunities for youth and adults.
- Grow and re-launch social enterprise businesses.
Our food-based social enterprise businesses serve as classrooms for students to gain on-the-job skills as they work alongside our professional chefs and baristas. As we grow our businesses, we’ll be able to provide more robust training opportunities for students that will prepare them for jobs in and beyond the food service industry. Our end goal is personal stability and economic mobility for people overcoming barriers to employment.
I want to share a few more highlights of what’s planned for 2024.
New Student Training Opportunities: As we launch new businesses, we are developing new training curricula to skill, reskill and upskill students. These businesses will provide students with opportunities to learn front-of-house, back-of-house, and catering, which will prepare them for various career pathways. In the year ahead, we will enroll over 300 youth and adults across our job training programs.
Expanded Partnerships: FareStart will continue to expand partnerships with social service, outreach and employer partners. We’re also redesigning and modernizing our student intake system to reach people most impacted by poverty and homelessness and integrating FareStart applicants into the broader social service ecosystem effectively. One new partnership we’re especially optimistic about is with Echo Glen Children’s Center, a security facility for young people. We’re piloting external job training at their facility, so residents are prepared for jobs when re-entering the community.
More Support for Youth: Stability is only achieved when students have their essential needs met. We’ve seen how successful adult students are when they can access FareStart’s case management and wraparound social services, including housing, food, transportation, and mental health counseling. We have relied on partners to manage these services for youth participating in our Barista & Customer Service Program, but this year we are investing in resources to directly manage this support to ensure stronger outcomes for young people in our programs.
Food Security: FareStart continues to support food security as we have since our founding over 30 years ago. Our staff and students produce tens of thousands of nutritious meals each month for local nonprofits, shelters and schools. In the coming weeks, we’ll relaunch our Mobile Community Market to provide fresh produce to communities in South Seattle and South King County. A pay structure is being added to better cover our costs. We’re planning for customers to use SNAP EBT benefits, FareStart gift cards and/or credit cards to purchase products. We’re also working with donors and partners to underwrite the cost of vouchers that customers can use to access free or discounted food.
FareStart Restaurant Reopening: Later this spring, the FareStart Restaurant will fully reopen for breakfast and lunch. The restaurant will be under construction for the next couple of months as we adapt the concept to “grab and go” dining. The culinary landscape has evolved since the pandemic, and we need to evolve with it to prepare students for future jobs in the culinary, customer service and other food-based industries. We’ll also host additional Guest Chef Nights and provide catering for private events held at our restaurant.
As we continue to focus on our core work and stabilize, we remain committed to becoming an antiracist organization and advancing equity in everything we do. Ultimately FareStart’s mission is about expanding access and opportunity so individuals can thrive. We are working with our Board, Staff Equity Council, students and partners to listen, learn and thoughtfully update our systems and processes to better serve communities furthest from opportunity.
This is a critical year of transition as we move back toward our shared support model — balancing donations and earned revenue from our businesses — to support our mission and create more impact. Now more than ever, we need you. There are many ways to get involved: make a financial gift, volunteer, visit one of our businesses, and help us spread the word to your friends, families and networks. We’ll keep you updated on our progress, but please continue to reach out with your questions.
With gratitude,
Patrick D’Amelio
CEO
P.S. If you missed it, please look at our 2023 Impact Report to see what we achieved together last year. Thank you for your continued support!
