Must! Charities and ECHO launched a Workforce Development Program to provide job training to those in need.
Based on-site at ECHO Atascadero and funded by Must! Charities, the program was first discussed a decade ago.
Becky Gray, Executive Director at Must! Charities, said they donated over $400,000 to the cause.
“Our partnership with ECHO actually started with conversations back in 2014,” said Gray.
From those conversations, came the kitchen where culinary workforce training would occur.
“So the kitchen was built and then COVID happened,” said Gray.
It wasn’t until 2024 that the kitchen was finally used for the workforce development program.
ECHO’s President and CEO, Wendy Lewis, shared why a kitchen was the right place to train their residents for future jobs.
“We found a lot of data out there that the restaurant and culinary industries are just desperate for employees. They are having a hard time filling key roles,” said Lewis.
By learning culinary skills, residents can increase their chances of finding work.
“It’s giving them the tools to put on their resume that they have knife skills, they learned how to operate a commercial kitchen. They’ve taken these courses,” said Lewis.
It also addresses a necessary step on the road to permanent housing, as residents can use their income to save up for a place to live.
Resident Jerry Herzberg has been involved in the program and enjoys learning new cooking skills.
“I offered to help because I wanted to be part of it,” Herzberg said, “I just like helping make food for people, you know? I really enjoy it. Especially if you make food that they end up liking. You feel really good about what you’ve done.”
He said he might get a job preparing food after finishing the program.
