When the team at Work Opportunities Unlimited (WOU) helps people with barriers to employment find and maintain meaningful jobs, they also ensure their clients have the skills needed for career advancement. Career Resource Specialist Rick Welsch found a local community center where one of his clients could progress his cooking skills while having fun with his WOU friends!
L to R: Matt, Aaron, Rick, Client
Having worked as a dishwasher at a restaurant for the past three years, Rick’s client wanted to move up to a prep cook role. He knew he needed to develop his cooking skills, especially knife work, to achieve this goal. However, he had limited opportunities to learn on the job, and he was nervous to practice with knives on his own at home. Rick needed to find a place where the individual could safely increase his prep work skills. After brainstorming with other WOU team members, the idea of utilizing a community center was proposed. Rick immediately started calling different centers in the area to locate one with a kitchen, and found Pines Community Center in Northfield, NH.
Fun in the Kitchen! L to R: Aaron, Client, CRS Rick, Matt
Rick spoke with Recreation Director Samantha Magoon at Pines Community Center, who was more than happy to help with this request; she shared that pre-COVID, various organizations utilized the kitchen regularly but hadn’t returned. Samantha gave Rick a tour of the facility and helped process the necessary documentation for WOU clients to be approved for kitchen use. Rick and the individual would be joined by his groupmates and fellow WOU clients, Matt and Aaron. Rick explains, “Friday is their community day, so we try to find different meaningful activities.” When Rick asked the group if they would be interested in cooking, they were enthused. “Aaron is active on TikTok and he enjoys a lot of cool content about cooking,” says Rick, “and Matt has audited some culinary courses in college and lives independently. Cooking is something that he enjoys doing, so it was an opportunity for Matt to practice these skills and kind of take a leadership role in the group.”
Every other week, the group cooks meals at the Pines Community Center kitchen. “On the non-cooking week, we meet up, get ideas, and plan the meal over coffee,” says Rick. “The group does all the planning themselves and makes sure that everyone’s voice is heard.” Recipes are chosen for the group’s palates, of course. They also consider how long it would take to prepare, increasing time management skills, and the cost per meal according to the local grocery store’s prices, which practices budgeting skills. The group identified $10 per person as a good budget, so the meals all cost $30 or less. Rick says, “We came up with that because they often went to lunch on Fridays. They realized, we can go out to lunch and spend $10-15, or we can make lunch and spend the same or less and have the experience. Plus, sometimes there are leftovers that can go home with different people, depending on what they like. Someone might go home with more shepherd’s pie, for instance, and then two weeks later, someone else is bringing home more of the pizza they made.”
“Pines Community Center has been amazing,” Rick remarks. “The center was extremely receptive of the group and has been a wonderful place for my client to develop a better understanding of the skills required to become a prep cook.” Rick is also impressed with the social growth he has seen in his client. “It’s been really interesting to watch him mature in that area, of negotiating with peers, and solving conflicts,” says Rick. Their time at the community center has strengthened social connections within the group, as the three bonded over their love of cooking, learned from one another, and shared equally in cleanup tasks. Rick says, “While this activity may have been designed to help my client develop skills to better himself professionally, the entire group has benefited.”
Rick has seen firsthand what a valuable resource local community centers can be for WOU clients. “Some of the services that we provide are community-based, so I think it is a great, natural fit. I honestly think that they are forgotten parts of society right now, because we have been shifting away from communal gathering spots post-COVID, but I think there’s a huge benefit to establishing a relationship and leveraging these resources. I highly recommend looking into local community centers as a way to help meet clients’ goals.”
