When Tiquana attended a resource fair at her daughter’s new school, she did not know her life was about to change.
Tiquana and her daughter moved to the Orlando area from South Carolina last year and were just settling into the community. Her family lived in a hotel while Tiquana was saving money from her job at a local big-box store to move them into an apartment.
Her dream was to work in the culinary field, but cost and transportation were barriers to the educational programs she had researched. She was struggling to pay bills because her hours at work had been cut dramatically.
At the school resource fair, she visited an information table staffed by Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida and heard something that would make her dream a reality. The staff member shared that Second Harvest offered a culinary training program for adults facing barriers to employment. The free program provided the skills needed to pursue a full-time, sustainable career in the food industry.
She learned that participants receive hands-on kitchen training with experienced chefs, job-readiness coaching, a culinary diploma, assistance with employment connections, and a year of support after graduation. To help address common barriers, the program provides wraparound support to help participants complete the program while also taking care of themselves and their families.
“It kind of fell in line, because when I was talking with her about the program, I realized, Second Harvest is down the street from my house. I can walk. Are you serious?” Tiquana recalled. “And I said to her, ‘Well, I'm going to look it up and apply tonight.”
She applied and was called the next day for her interview.
“I was super excited,” Tiquana said. “Cooking has always been a passion of mine.”
She said one of the most important things she learned in the Culinary Training Program was how to manage her time in the kitchen. She overcame challenges like memorizing recipes and adapting when chef instructors threw in changes to her plan.
“I love the fact that they're pushing us outside of our comfort zone,” Tiquana said. “That's very challenging when you want that recipe book.”
Tiquana was hired at what she called her “dream company” at a local hotel after finishing the program. She has since been promoted and can see a path for career advancement and stability in her life. “It's just been life-changing because I've met some really amazing people,” she said. “To be able to say I can breathe again. I can take care of my kids without worrying about whether my hours will get cut. I'm going to be able to do this.”
