California Soup Kitchen Will Offer More Than Free Meals

Give a man a fish and he eats for a day. Teach a man to fish and he'll never go hungry again. That's what the Red Artichoke Culinary School in Salinas, California, is hoping to achieve by teaching the homeless to cook. The staff at Dorothy's Place, which provides services to homeless people, has been mulling over starting a culinary school for several years. That idea has been gaining interest and support throughout the community for the past several months, and directors are working to make the school a reality.

Red Artichoke isn't just about cooking classes -- it's a program designed to empower those in need and give them the education and life skills needed to pursue a career. After all, simply learning how to cook doesn't mean you'll have the food to do so. Dorothy's Place runs the soup kitchen (hence the name, Dorothy's Kitchen) on Soledad Street that will do more than just hold a finger in the dam. Currently, the people who run the kitchen are guests who volunteer to do so. In its quarterly newsletter, program director Jill Allen rationalizes that since they already have self-motivated volunteers working in the kitchen, why not take it a step further to give these folks the chance for a better life?

While the kitchen is functional for service purposes, renovations are needed before it can become a center for learning. The estimated cost for adding space and equipment stands at $165,000. Donations are needed to make it happen. The wish list Dorothy's Kitchen has compiled includes cabinets, flooring, stock pots and money for permits and fees. The kitchen also needs skilled chefs willing to donate their expertise to helping students attain credentials and employment.

There are currently two dozen or so homeless men and women taking part in the organizing effort. The Monterey Bay Chapter of Women In Construction will be helping out by connecting the kitchen with local construction companies such as Mill Construction, which donating its services. Since most of the people served by the soup kitchen are men, Dorothy's Place has coordinated an effort with another homeless program, Men In Transition, to provide housing to the students of Red Artichoke.

Director Robert Smith has coined the term "Poor People Power," to describe the hard work all the volunteers at Dorothy's Kitchen have contributed thus far. It's evident that these men and women have been making the effort to do better for themselves, despite the hand they have been dealt. With infectious optimism, the combination of ambition and opportunity at the Red Artichoke Culinary School would be able to create a lasting impression upon the lives of graduates and the community at large. To help out, email Dorothy's Place at info@dorothysplace.org

Photo credit: Marco Arment