Hope's Soup Kitchen in Cortez is taking their commitment to helping others one step further.
Following up on a friend's suggestion, kitchen manager Larry Gessner partnered with Community Connections to provide job skills for young adults.
Now he has two young women and two young men serving, cleaning, and preparing meals for the hungry.
"At first they were like, 'Why are they dragging us here?' but then they came to appreciate working together for a good cause," Gessner said.
Hope's Kitchen is at First United Methodist Church, 515 N. Park St., and has a large commercial kitchen and dining area.
Volunteer Tyler McDonald said the job has changed his attitude and has given him a career focus. He puts in three or four shifts a week when not taking classes at Southwest Colorado Community College.
"I was going to be a mechanic, but now I'm saving money to enroll in culinary school and want to become a chef," he said. "Thanks to Larry's training I learned that I love cooking. "
McDonald said he is gaining valuable experience on how a large commercial kitchen works, from the ordering, proper food storage, prepping, menu planning, and the actual cooking.
"There's a lot to know - the preparation, all the different meats and how to cook them - but I'm learning fast," he said. "I really enjoy it and have made new friends."
Volunteer Jeremy Schmidt has stepped up as well, learning to operate and maintain a commercial dishwasher. Gessner hopes to have him learn some cooking skills as well.
"My hope is to integrate them into the workforce," Gessner said. "On an application, this experience will stand out to employers."
The volunteers cook and serve enough meals for 100 to 150 people per day. The kitchen's clients include the homeless, and families and working class trying to make ends meet.
"It is open to anyone. The elderly come out enjoy the noon-time meal as a way to socialize and stay connected," Gessner said.
Marcy Cummins, is the director of Adult Services for Community Connections Inc., which that assists disadvantaged adults. Their clients also volunteer at the Cortez Welcome Center and KSJD radio. Others earn wages at IFA, and the City of Cortez.
"This community has embraced the idea that (our clients) can be fully participating members of society," Cummins said.
CCI has a strong vocational program where clients learn how to write their resumes, do work searches on the Internet, interview professionally, and to understand basic work ethic.
"Our clients are amazing individuals who want the same things out of life that everyone wants, including fulfilling work," Cummins said.
Anyone interested in working with one of CCI's clients should call (970) 259-2464, or email at marcy@cci-colorado.org.
jmimiaga@cortezjournal.com
