When he was a little boy in Puerto Rico, Ariel Rivera knew he wanted to run his own business. And, as he watched his father and aunt cook wonderful meals, he learned his way around a kitchen.
Rivera, 29, came to the United States a year ago. In the process, he has been able to nurture his interest and talent. In another year, he expects to return home as an entrepreneur in the catering business.
For the past 10 weeks, Rivera has been a participant in the Community Kitchens program. Sponsored by the Greater Chicago Food Depository, DePaul University and Our Lady of Sorrows Basilica, the program is designed to move individuals from public assistance to self-sufficiency, though not all who participate are on welfare.
On Friday, 11 students will graduate, complete with certificates, cake and cheers.
At Casa Central, a social service agency for the Hispanic community, Rivera works as a culinary intern twice a week as part of the Community Kitchens program. There, he helps prepare breakfast, lunch and afternoon snacks for children in day care and those who come to the center after school.
“I learned how to make salad, different stocks, different rice and different meats,” he said, gesturing with his hands when his beginning English fails him.
From cooking, Rivera says, he gains a sense of pride.
“When you finish your work and you see the people taste your food, it feels good because you know you made good food,” he said during a break in the lunch crowd.
That reaction is just what program officials hope to bring about.
“Definitely, self-esteem is really important and being able to sell yourself and succeed every day on the job,” said Mary Rickard, director of communications for the Greater Chicago Food Depository.
Rafael D. Perez, director of the kitchen at Casa Central said: “The program is good because it helps the community and it helps Ariel. He wanted to cook but didn’t have the money for some of the schools.” .
In another year, before he plans to return home, Rivera hopes to gain more training, possibly in the kitchen of Casa Central.
“That’s what I want–to work here,” he said. “I have good friends and the place is small, good for starting out.”
That’s just what Rivera is doing: Starting out. He hopes to be his own boss back in Puerto Rico. “Now, I’m starting to buy the stuff for catering,” he said.
Applicants for the Community Kitchens of Chicago Program were recruited through DePaul University’s Office of Applied Innovations. Candidates must be at least 18 years old, have a 6th-grade proficiency in math and English and be both willing and able to commit themselves to the 10-week training and internship. Financial support for the initiative comes from Philip Morris Cos. Inc.
Ava Brown, instructor/counselor for the program, called the recruitment process “very difficult. We saw close to 150 people and came out with 13 (eligible participants).”
Reading and math requirements, as well as a mandatory drug test, eliminated some applicants. So far, Brown said, seven people have been accepted into the next rotation, beginning June 29. She’s shooting for 16.
The class at Our Lady of Sorrows prepares 350 meals a day, which are delivered to Marillac House, a settlement house and social service agency on the city’s West Side.
Program instruction extends from the kitchen to the classroom, where participants receive training in life skills from Brown, who is an employment specialist at DePaul.
What Brown teaches goes hand in hand with what students learn in the kitchen. Those skills include first aid, sanitation, self-esteem, personal finance and time management.
Arnisa “Tiny” Schaffer, 21, said she learned much from Brown’s three-hour daily classes.
“We went through making resumes, one-on-one interviews with each other. . . . I learned you don’t abbreviate on an application. You have to write everything out,” she said.
From the time she was in high school, Schaffer has had an interest in cooking. After graduating, she wanted to attend Harold Washington College to study food services, but she was held back by health problems that her son has.
I do not like it.”
Instructor Nancy O. Mills, 26, has seen a a good deal of progress in her students over the last few months.
“You can definitely see it in their skills . . . self-esteem, how they communicate about themselves and each other,” she said.
Said Mills, “All of the students have taught me an immense amount about myself, about them, and that’s probably been the coolest thing about my job here.”
