Many students have such a great experience in our job training programs, they go out in the workforce, excel in a kitchen or two, then jump at the chance to come back to FareStart as employees.
Angel (he/him) is one of them. He felt a deep sense of belonging at FareStart right away. Surrounded by people who knew what it was like to live on the streets, to struggle with addiction, to spend time in prison, he felt welcomed, accepted and ready to turn his life around.
“At FareStart, they understood I had a past,” he recalled, “but they said, ‘We’re not going to judge you for your past. We want to help you with your future.’”
From Prison to Recovery to FareStart
Angel learned about FareStart in prison. It sounded like a chance to pick up where he left off with culinary classes he took years ago in a vocational training program. Back then in his mid-20s, he thought he might give restaurant work a try, but he mostly worked in construction, roofing and the like. There were also times when life went sideways and holding down a job kept slipping out of reach.
“I really didn’t think I was ever going to do much of anything because I was so used to living on the streets, with drugs and alcohol and trouble,” he said. “I just felt like that was the normal life. And then the fairy tale life was the one where you actually have a job, and you pay your bills. You have kids and a wife. All of that just seemed like it would never be achievable for me.”
After serving his time, Angel moved into a group home where several of his housemates were in training at FareStart. He had reached a point where he realized he couldn’t keep doing the same thing over and over, hoping things would turn out differently. It was time to make a change.
His outlook began to shift as soon as he started our Food Pathways Program. He felt comfortable opening up about the mistakes that had complicated his life for so long. When other students started talking about their lives, too, doubts started melting away, making room for hope and confidence.
“Once you can get people not focused on when they’ve tripped up, they can start to take steps in the right direction,” he said.
FareStart covered three months of rent while he went through the training program, which helped him save enough to cover his own housing costs when he graduated.
From FareStart to the Workforce and Back
Angel landed his first job after FareStart at a Din Tai Fung restaurant less than two months after graduating. Some people with his level of chef training might have considered a dishwashing job beneath them, but not Angel. He thought about the job offer from the employer’s perspective.
He also saw an opportunity to take lessons learned at FareStart and put them into practice in a fast-paced kitchen.
“FareStart teaches you how to remain professional no matter what,” he said. “Sometimes when it’s really busy, things get hectic and you might start getting out of character. But it’s important to stay calm in stressful situations.”
Within less than two months, Angel got promoted to a prep cook position. He enjoyed the challenge of keeping up with the non-stop rush of orders. When the pace slowed down, his hours got cut back, but he needed a full-time job to pay the bills, so he started looking.
Less than a month later, he got hired to prepare ready-to-eat meals in a Whole Foods deli. He appreciated the change of pace and the calmer vibe of working in a grocery store. It felt like a job he would like long-term, then he learned about a job opening in FareStart’s Community Meals kitchen in Interbay, and he went for it.
“It felt like coming home,” he said.
He’s now working alongside FareStart students, staff and volunteers, making breakfast, lunch and dinner for our Community Meals Program serving local nonprofits and shelters. He shows up every day feeling grateful to be back. He has visions of starting a smoothie business someday, but for now, he knows he’s right where he belongs.
Learn about other FareStart graduates who have returned as employees, including one of Angel’s mentors, Chef Casey, Nikole and Jessi on our news blog.
