Wagyu Beef Dinner | August 29, 2018
Supporting Stout Street Foundation's "Cooking Up Hope" Campaign
The mission of Stout Street Foundation is to provide a supportive, therapeutic community for addicts and alcoholics and to help them help themselves so they may return to society as recovering, productive and responsible citizens.
Stout Street Foundation houses 140 residents for their 2 to 3-year treatment program for drug and alcohol addicts. Each participant has a job while in residency to learn the skills they need to be a productive member of society after finishing the program.
Challenge
Having a safe, renovated kitchen in which to offer its culinary workforce training program is absolutely critical to long-term impact. Stout Street Foundation residents begin workforce development training during the first phase of the program.
The facility is in a repurposed hotel and still features the design and layout of a commercial restaurant from several decades ago—presenting key challenges to SSF’s vocational training, workflows in healthy food preparation, storing and serving, and the effectiveness of its overall therapeutic setting.
Plans for Renovation
The Cooking Up Hope capital campaign supports the renovation of SSF’s kitchen and dining area at its residential facility in Commerce City—a critical area for the culinary workforce development program. The dining area, which connects directly with the kitchen, is a critical part of day-to-day life at SSF. The renovation will address the following elements:
Community
Residents refer to the dining area as the “Cool-Down Café.” After a long day of intense therapy and work, they use this space to relax and enjoy their community of peers. The dining area has a dark-colored décor that has not been updated since the 1980s—casting a dark mood that does not reinforce the “heart” of SSF. The renovation will change this to make it a bright, uplifting space. The renovation will also change the physical layout from a traditional restaurant style to a communal, cafeteria-like setting.
Health, Safety & Efficiency
The renovation will include the purchase of new appliances that will be Energy Star certified—ensuring the kitchen is up to code and reducing electricity and water usage. Current equipment is outdated by 30-40 years and in need of constant repair as a result of its consistent malfunctioning (including the walk-in refrigerator), causing health and safety concerns. New lighting will be energy-efficient as well.
Sanitation
The furniture has aged, fabric covers that are difficult to keep clean. The renovation will purchase modern vinyl-covered furniture that can be cleaned easily.
Workforce Program
The new layout of the kitchen will enhance group-based instruction for the culinary workforce program. Last year, SSF served 50 individuals in the culinary training vocational program. These workers served approximately 140,000 meals and gained invaluable job skills.
