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As a division of Seattle's FareStart (www.farestart.org), Kitchens With Mission works to build and sustain communities that provide food-service based training and employment for individuals facing barriers to employment.
KWM accomplishes its mission through the dissemination, support and maintenance of a self-sustaining food-service based training and employment model rooted in social enterprise. KWM works in concert with approved local partners, saving them time and resources by providing the guidance, information, systems, materials and support required to establish and sustain effective programs and social enterprise, including; contract meal production, catering, café and restaurant ventures. In the last three years KWM has worked with over 100 organizations seeking guidance, and has provided in-depth technical assistance to 37 like-minded organizations.
Following successful program and operational development, Kitchens With Mission provides ongoing oversight, benefits and accreditation through the KWM Network. This enabled network focuses on long-term success, maintaining standards and delivering shared resources and benefits including representation in collective negotiations for sponsorship, services, equipment and products.
Working In Concert
Kitchens With Mission works in concert with partner organizations that are interested in either launching new food-service-based training and employment programs or restructuring existing programs. Working through defined stages of development, KWM provides approved partners with a range of technical and integration assistance, including customized program and organizational materials. Successful outcomes include increased levels of self-sufficiency for both the organization and the individuals it serves.
Supported by a mix of fee-for-service revenues and donated funds, Kitchens With Mission applies a wealth of information, experience and practical lessons learned. KWM uses this knowledge base to adapt and deliver core model elements to its partners. In addition to advocating and providing for the development and growth of its Partner Programs, KWM delivers the benefits of a national network that represents all Partner Programs, leverages their collective strengths and delivers shared information, services and sponsors.
The KWM Network’s 10 year goal is to guide and facilitate the successful development and launch of 75 KWM Partner Programs by 2015. The annual outcomes of this network of programs will include over $15 million in social enterprise revenues, the production of over 10 million nutritious meals, and training for more than 7500 disadvantaged men, women and youth.
Primary Tenets of a Kitchen With Mission
1. Empowerment through Training and Employment: Empower the lives of individuals facing barriers to employment through comprehensive foodservice training, soft skills training, supportive services and employment, targeted job placement and job retention efforts.
2. Social Enterprise: Self-generate revenues through food-service-based social enterprises that provide real-life training opportunities, financial support of the program and a touch point with the community.
3. Cost-effective, Nutritious Meals: Provide benefits to the community through the economic efficiencies of a centralized kitchen that prepares nutritious meals for disadvantaged populations and others on a contract basis, and to the public on a retail basis.
What's New
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On January 28-29, 2010 Kitchens With Mission and FareStart will host a National Summit with recognized leaders in the field of social enterprise and food-service based job training. The summit will spend two days examining the founding principles of the network and laying the foundation for a strong, collaborative future partnership.
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Kitchens With Mission has posted its Service Offerings online. Services include individual, customized workshops and site visits for organizations interested in hands-on experiential learning and model sharing. Workshops are tailored to provide key benefits to each group; including feasibility study through to strategic management recommendations and focused train-the-trainer sessions. Over 50 organizations from around the country have already benefited from this "hands on" approach, a key step towards successful model development and implementation.
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