Life's Kitchen provides on-the-job food service experience to at-risk youth in Idaho, and thanks to a grant from Key Bank the nonprofit will be expanding its programs and services to equip more young adults with the skills necessary for employment.
The non-profit was founded in 2003 by Idaho restaurateur Rory Farrow, and since then Life's Kitchen has grown to operate three food service businesses providing work experience to trainees.
The $100,000 donation will support programs offered by Life's Kitchen, allowing the organization to continue serving the Idaho community.
Executive Director for Life's Kitchen Tammy Johnson says one of her greatest joys is seeing the growth and change in those who take part in the programs.
"When you see that first-week with their head down, not quite sure where to go, and then as they progress over the sixteen weeks, they find community. They realize that the staff and the chefs and everyone is here to support them and to be there for them and then to see their heads go up high and be able to do things they never thought; that's what I love," says Tammy.
Programs like Life's Kitchen serve an important role in the community, especially since more than half of the students with the non-profit live at or below the poverty level and 20% experience homelessness.
To learn more about Life's Kitchen, their restaurants and their programs, visit their website here.
