TORONTO – FoodShare is a non-profit organization from Toronto whose vision is to provide good healthy food for all. They partner with under-served communities and schools to increase access to and knowledge of healthy food. One of their many programs, Focus on Food offers a paid internship for marginalized youths.
“Ten young people come and work here with us for an intensive six month period,” said FoodShare’s Executive Director Debbie Field. “They’re paid minimum wage, they get a graduation stipend if they complete the program, and they hopefully go on to find work in the food industry.”
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Youth Engagement Coordinator Emma Dillabough is using her New York Culinary Degree to provide the interns with cooking skills that can facilitate their job search.
“I just try to make it fun. They tell me what they like, I try to incorporate it,” said Dillabough. “We try and make things healthy but also make it super tasty.”
The ten interns are divided into two groups. Five of them work in the warehouse where they pack healthy food boxes that go out to the community, and the other five work in the kitchen.
“The five who work in the kitchen learn how to cook from scratch and they help us every single day cook meals for our own staff and volunteers,” said Field.
The Focus on Food program has become very successful with some youth interns getting hired straight out of the program. In fact, 90% of the graduates are either getting a job or going back to school.
“This internship has taught me a lot of experience and a lot of influences on my cooking,” said youth intern Dylan Lavallee. “I’m learning a lot from different parts of the world and I’m learning how to use good food to make good meals.”
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