March 2, 2018
Samantha Rendon, Marketing Specialist
“You can wake up sometimes at 3:00 AM and be tired, but once you step in the Food Bank kitchen the happiness just flourishes from everyone.”
When Noah Neshem-Casso graduated high school, like many students, he wasn’t as prepared for his next stage in life as he thought he would be. College would always be an option, but he didn’t want to jump right in without knowing what to major in and why. His mother learned of the San Antonio Food Bank’s Culinary Training Program and passed the information along to Noah. He always loved to cook and felt this opportunity could lead to something bigger in his life.
Through the Culinary Training Program, Noah learned about cooking and how the San Antonio Food Bank nourishes the community through the program. He learned the Food Bank grows many of its own fruits and vegetables and how the food prepared helps those in need. Not only did he become more educated about the San Antonio Food Bank, he also developed a greater pleasure knowing he became a part of an effort to help those who are food insecure.
When asked about what he has taken away from the Culinary Training Program, “The teamwork,” Noah says. “You can wake up sometimes at 3:00 AM and be tired, but once you step in the Food Bank kitchen the happiness just flourishes from everyone.”
With only a few hours left to complete the program, Noah has been offered a position at a local San Antonio eatery. While working, he plans to enroll in school and study chemistry. While many think culinary and chemistry are not relatable, cooks who understand how the chemical processes work during cooking, make adjustments to produce better flavors and foods.
Here at the Food Bank, we would like to thank Noah for being a graduate of the 2018 SAFB Culinary Training Program and wish him and his fellow graduates the best of luck in their culinary journeys!
About the Culinary Training Program
Our Culinary Training Program addresses hunger through training the unemployed or underemployed by offering hands-on experience in a production kitchen environment. Through an 18-week course, individuals are taught basic kitchen and culinary skills, safety and sanitation procedures, and gain hands on training needed to achieve meaningful employment in the food service industry and achieve self-sufficiency. The program averages 50 graduates per year who work in kitchens throughout Southwest Texas. As part of their training, students help nourish our community by preparing meals for area shelters, Kids Cafes, and summer meal sites. Students also have the opportunity to work with a full-service caterer through the San Antonio Food Bank’s social enterprise, Catalyst Catering.
For more information regarding the Culinary Training Program at the San Antonio Food Bank visit our page or contact us at 210.431.8423 or email us culinarytraining@safoodbank.org.