Profile of Success: JobTrain Class of 2011

On June 15, 2011, more than 500 guests filled the auditorium at the Menlo-Atherton Performing Arts Center to show their support for the 102 graduates comprising JobTrain's class of 2011.

Wendell Carpenter CST graduate, delivered the student keynote address. Carpenter was recognized for his stellar academic performance and for utilizing available resources to overcome extreme and extenuating hardship.

Silence was palpable when Carpenter credited JobTrain and its partnership with Single Stop USA, for transforming his life from hopeless to hopeful. Carpenter wholeheartedly thanked the non-profits for compassionately guiding him through the most difficult time of his life.

According to Carpenter: “Before discovering JobTrain, my morning started with a call from a creditor. Sadly enough, it ended the same way. After being laid-off in July 2010, I lost my insurance benefits and couldn’t afford my wife’s medical bills or her required Cancer treatment. We were overwhelmed and for the first time in my life - I was scared. When my back was against the wall – thankfully, I found JobTrain and everything changed.”

Single Stop USA renegotiated the terms of Carpenter’s debt and played an instrumental role in his new lease on life.

After learning new marketable skills, benefitting from financial management services and graduating from JobTrain, Wendell Carpenter concluded his speech with: “I am better equipped and ready to handle the world again. I have gained confidence and feel like a breath of fresh air. I am ready to go to work now. I know I can do it!”

Menlo Park Chamber of Commerce Honors JobTrain

The 38^th annual Golden Acorn Awards presented by the Menlo Park Chamber of Commerce, honored JobTrain with its annual award on September 23, 2010.

JobTrain won the coveted nonprofit award for its impactful contribution in the lives of Bay Area residents. In 2009 alone, nearly 7,000 individuals received assistance with vocational training and job placement services at JobTrain.

Other honorees were:

John Arrillaga – Community Service

Music@Menlo – Cultural Innovator

The Rotary Club of Menlo Park Foundation – Education

Tarlton Properties, Inc. – Business Excellence

Planting the Seeds for a Healthier Tomorrow: Local Businessman Grows Hope for Nonprofit Preschool

We all want to eat healthy. Yes, organic is the way to go. However, it seems more affordable and easier to head for a drive-thru restaurant. With the wide array of supersized options, we risk getting more than what we bargained for. Weight gain, increased blood pressure, diabetes and heart disease – are all linked to poor nutrition. The strenuous economy combined with our fast-paced culture – makes healthy choices feel unattainable.

Local businessman John Gachina, launched an “Awareness Campaign” advocating health and disease prevention for the 275 employees at Gachina Landscape Management. “I want them to know they must make time to eat right for themselves and make healthy choices for their families. We can’t allow our kids to think food comes from McDonalds.”

However, John didn’t stop there. Today, he brought the campaign to JobTrain. For more than 15 years, Gachina Landscape Management has provided free landscape services for the nonprofit. Yet, Gachina felt compelled to do more.

Ever since collaborating during Earth Day 2009, Gachina and JobTrain employee Kail Lubarsky shared the dream of creating a vegetable garden for the preschool.

Although it didn’t take a village to install the 3x20 garden vegetable box, community alliance made it possible. Girvin Peters (Girvin Peters Landscape) built the beautiful wooden box, Terry Lyngso (Lyngso Garden Materials) donated the 100% organic soil known as “veggie mix”, and Gachina Landscape Management donated the labor and gardening supplies. Approximately $1,000 went towards the special undertaking. But, for Gachina the experience was priceless. “These kids will not only grow vegetables – but self esteem.“

According to Liceria Ernst, JobTrain Preschool Instructor, “This will be exciting for the kids and educational for their parents too. This project will prove eating healthy is an easy and affordable option for everyone.”

In only minutes, the children planted carrots, onions, peppers, collard greens, sweet peas, lettuce and parsley. There’s no doubt they’ll enjoy their harvest. But will it end there? The preschool kids are becoming ambassadors of good health at JobTrain. Their vegetables will be used in meals prepared by the Culinary Arts program, which in turn will reach countless local and surrounding communities.

Savoring the Taste of Success – JobTrain Provides Key Ingredients for Life!

You’ve never seen an Iron Chef competition like the one that took place at the San Mateo Women’s Correctional Center on August 17, 2010.

Inmates partnered with county officials and JobTrain in teams of four – in a unique cook-off. District Attorney Jim Fox, Supervisor Rose Jacobs Gibson, Sheriff’s Captain John Quinlan and Deputy Chief Probation Officer Ken Pesso – exchanged their law enforcement duties to collaborate with people turning their lives around through Culinary Arts.

Chef Elihu Kittell of the jail, was the mastermind behind this activity. However, it’s been in the forefront of his thoughts since 2006 when he launched the cooking program. Kittell felt a sense of urgency to “give back to the community” and recognized the need for a program that would not only provide recreational activities for the incarcerated – but, marketable skills that would sustain them upon their release.

Four years later, he partnered with JobTrain and longtime friend Chef Adam Weiner. Together they instituted a curriculum wherein JobTrain teaches Culinary Arts once a week to the inmates. According to Lieutenant Lisa Williams, “It’s been a fantastic partnership that transitions inmates into employable women - equipped with real training so they can get back on their feet.”

Jenelle DeLugg was in custody when she met Chef Weiner. Her exemplary behavior qualified her for the jails’ work furlough program. She’s made remarkable strides in her life which she solely contributes to the jail staff and JobTrain. “They really believe in us – you can be more than just a criminal in their eyes.” DeLugg was released on August 4^th, resides in South San Francisco and is enrolled in the Culinary Arts Program at JobTrain. Her dream is to open a restaurant in Palo Alto with fellow classmates.

Jail is a place of last resort. However the programs it offers and even participation in the cook-off – establishes a new beginning. According to Sheriff Greg Munks, “The goal of the cook-off is to showcase that we have a number of people in our custody. They're our neighbors, and for whatever reason they’ve ended up in jail. Our way of incarceration is now being fused with opportunities and job training. Jobs give people a sense of self-worth and makes them part of the social and economic fabric of community. The cook-off demonstrates that we’re all in this together.”

Four teams consisting of two inmates, one JobTrain student and a law enforcement official, all came together and prepared jambalaya, salmon, black pepper biscuits – and an array of fruit and vegetable salads – and a killer pecan pie.

In the end, Sheriff Greg Munks, Assistant Sheriff Trisha Sanchez, Judge Steve Hall and Supervisor Adrienne Tissier, were tasked with selecting the winner.

It came to no surprise for Sheriff’s Captain John Quinlan that his team, “The Fantastic Four” won. However fellow teammates Amilia Otis and Laura Engman – were literally shocked to tears. Otis, mother of 6, looks forward to attending JobTrain upon release. “I’ve learned my lesson and will never return to jail. Thankfully this program has given me what I always needed – a true sense of purpose.”

Polyvore Visits JobTrain!

In addition to being CEO of Polyvore, the leading community site for online style, Sukhinder Singh Cassidy is a JobTrain board member.

Today she brought 21 Polyvore colleagues to JobTrain for a team-building exercise in collaboration with the Culinary Arts program.

The Polyvore crew was divided into 5 teams and worked with a senior JobTrain student to prepare the following menu:

Soup or salad of team’s choosing

Appetizer

Vegetarian entrée of team’s choosing

Salmon with corn and Fingerling potatoes (official recipe from Chef Jeff Henderson of the Food Network)

Pecan pie or bread pudding

The creative crew from Polyvore identified their teams as: “Red Hot Chili Peppers,” “Skinny Jeans High Waist Pants,” “Karl Lagerfood,” “10-13” and “Harold & Kumar Go to JobTrain.”

Instructor Chef Adam Weiner, encouraged the teams to be creative, have fun and to trust the team-building process. With laughter and smiles abound, there’s no doubt everyone had a great time.

According to Jen Yuille, Polvore’s Head of Marketing & Communications, “JobTrain is amazing. It’s a very empowering place that has created a great opportunity for team-building.”

After two hours of cooking, the teams were judged by invited guests from the W Silicon Valley and the American Culinary Federation.

Despite the delectable entrees plated to perfection by all the teams – “Karl Lagerfood” won the competition. However, all the participants were winners in their team-building exercise.

Jose Rojas - JobTrain Success Story

Jose Rojas represents the "spirit" of JobTrain.

After graduating from their Culinary Arts program in April 2009, he began working at Woodside Terrace as a dishwasher. His professionalism and strong work ethic led to promotion as Assistant Chef - in just one year.

Today, Jose Rojas returned to JobTrain with a major announcement. He's relocating to Mexico and pursuing his dream of opening a specialty dessert restaurant! He credits Chef Adam Weiner for always encouraging him to fulfill his potential and honor his dreams.

In addition to sharing the great news, Jose also came to JobTrain to find his replacement at Woodside Terrace and to advise of (2) other employment opportunities. He said, "JobTrain has been so good to me. It's really the best place to discover your dreams. I want to return what JobTrain has done for me and help current students with job placement."

We all wish Jose the very best!

Breakfast of Champions

BREAKFAST OF CHAMPIONS XXVI

If you've already reserved your spot at our upcoming Breakfast of Champions or committed to a sponsorship, thank you.

If you haven't yet signed up, there's still time and space available to register as a 2010 Proud Breakfast Sponsor. Simply visit our website at www.jobtrainworks.org today.


"When I think of JobTrain, I think of hope. Providing hope for those who feel they can't do it anymore. Hope for those who feel they're lost and just can't get back in the race. Hope for those who feel that they're not good enough. All of those things make you lost hope. But, JobTrain, you pick them up, dust them off and put them back in the ring and say 'let's go.'"

-Mike Singletary, Head Coach San Francisco 49ers
Excerpt from his 2009 Breakfast of Champions Keynote Speech