Christ Kitchen graduates 120 in 25 years

 

Over its 25 years, Christ Kitchen has provided more than 800,000 hours of job training and employment for impoverished women, and 100,000 hours of community service by volunteers.

Since 2017, nearly 120 women have graduated to find family-sustaining employment, breaking the chain of generational poverty for themselves and the children who rely on them for survival, reported Sharon Robertson, donor and community relations manager.

Christ Kitchen hires up to 24 women at a time to learn job skills in nine fields: commercial baking, culinary arts, barista, catering, food truck management, office administration, retail/wholesale, customer service and marketing, and horticulture/gardening.

"Women we hire are working to break the chains of poverty, addiction and abuse in their own lives, so that they can provide for themselves and their children without destructive relationships, substances or government assistance," Sharon said.

Since 2017, Christ Kitchen has had a 96 percent retention rate among graduates. In 82 percent of cases, mothers reunite with children placed in foster care.

Christ Kitchen began in 1998 at Westminster Presbyterian Church as an offshoot of Christ Clinic, which was started by five physicians to treat uninsured and underinsured people. In 2017, Christ Clinic closed its doors and Christ Kitchen became a stand-alone ministry, with just $327.69 in the bank.

Sharon said Christ Kitchen products can be purchased at Rosauers, Yoke's Fresh Market, My Fresh Basket, Huckleberry's and its 2410 N. Monroe St. location, and online at christkitchen.org.

They plan to launch a mobile barista truck and food truck in Spring 2025.

Christ Kitchen's mission is to help impoverished women heal and overcome critical employment and life challenges, such as felonies, re-entry into society, prostitution, human trafficking, abuse, addiction and lack of job experience.

The goal is to reduce poverty, stabilize families and build leaders, said Sharon.

Through gourmet dried food products, catering services, a food truck, a cafe and a coffee house, Christ Kitchen enables women to become employable.

For information, call 325-4343 or email sharon@christkitchen.org.