Life's Kitchen 06/2010
What is Life's Kitchen?
Life's Kitchen is a forward thinking, non profit organization dedicated to transforming the lives of youth by building self esteem and self sufficiency. Our primary objective is to stop the cycle of homelessness and social failure for at risk, low income youth aged 16 to 20. Life's Kitchen does this with an innovative, hands on teaching program in the culinary arts and broad life skills instruction.
Life's Kitchen was inspired and founded by Rory Farrow, owner of the original Le Poulet Rouge and Amore Restaurants in Boise. Rory saw hundreds of Boise teenagers enter her restaurants over the years without the basic life skills to support themselves. She helped them find their first apartment, read their credit report and learn to “make it on a shoestring budget". Rory recognized the need to help teenagers transition into adulthood and wanted to formalize her personal mentoring program. She founded Life’s Kitchen, a non-profit program created to train young adults aged 16 to 20 in the culinary arts and life skills to ensure their transition toward independent living.
Since Life's Kitchen taught their first class in the Fall of 2003, they have trained well over 100 students. Many of those students have gone on to pursue careers in the food service industry and become productive members of their community.
If you live in the Treasure Valley, are between the ages of 16 and 20, low income, and are looking for help with a career path, learning to pay bills, apply for a job, etc. and are interested in a positive, hard-working, educational experience, Life's Kitchen may be for you.
How can I support Life's Kitchen?
Supporting the ongoing efforts of Life's Kitchen takes time and money. Donations from the community to provide critical services and outside-the-kitchen support for students are crucial . For example, $1,500 sponsors a student for their entire 16-week training program; and by donating less than 5 hours of your time a month you can be a year-long mentor to a Life's Kitchen student. And Life's Kitchen is always in need of donated food, in-kind goods or professional services.
More ways to help include:
- Sponsor the training program for one student. ($1,500)
- Provide a student's food for an entire semester ($250)
- Give a student a graduation knife set and chef coat ($125)
- Donate in-kind goods or services to Life's Kitchen
- Coach students through the job interview process
- Teach a life skills class to students
- Hire Life's Kitchen catering for your next company or private event
- Volunteer in the Life's Kitchen Lunch Cafe
Get More Information
If you would like more information about Life's Kitchen, go online to: www.lifeskitchen.org or call by dialing 208-331-0199 (Boise).