Dear FareStart Community,
Earlier this year, we shared our new three-year Strategic Plan—focused on deepening our impact and responding to our community’s evolving needs. I hope you had a chance to review it, and will be part of what’s ahead.
At the heart of this plan are our students—they are our North Star. They show up every day with resilience and determination as they navigate challenges like poverty, housing instability, mental health and past incarceration. These realities make employment harder to access and sustain, shaping how we must show up as an organization.
Our Strategic Plan substantively expands job training to reach more students than ever before, with a goal of enrolling 500 students annually by 2028. Just as important, it focuses on strengthening the quality of the experience so students are better prepared for long-term success.
This year, we’re focused on scaling what works and creating professional, inspiring learning environments that support real skill development.
One example is the new classroom and training space for young adults in our Barista & Customer Service Program at our flagship downtown location. Students began using the space in late March, bringing the program fully in-house and positioning it for increased enrollment.
Later this year, we will build on this work with upgrades to our Food Pathways Program classroom for adults. These improvements will enhance our culinary training and demonstration capabilities, helping early-phase students better prepare for on-the-job expectations and challenges in our social enterprise kitchens.
At the same time, we are expanding our network of local employer partners and growing our social enterprises so more students can access hands-on training and find jobs. Together, these efforts are laying the foundation for the growth outlined in our Strategic Plan.
If you’d like to learn more or see this work in action, I’d encourage you to visit. I’ll be hosting a Meet & Greet on May 19 at 5 p.m. at our downtown location to share more and answer questions—I hope you’ll join me.
We truly value your engagement in this work and in our community.
With gratitude,
Patrick D’Amelio
CEO
