Fresh Start gives Pensacola's homeless skills and confidence, now they just need a chance
After spending nearly 10 months receiving help at Waterfront Rescue Mission, William Adams, relapsed on Jan. 27.
Williams, 61, was homeless and he had struggled with an addiction to crack cocaine since 1981. Over the years, he lost not just his family and friends, but himself.
“It took me years of bumping my head against the wall — losing everything I've had, that I've worked for in 24 to 48 hours. Years going down the drain,” Adams said.
On Jan. 29, he wandered in front of Bright Bridge Ministries asking for water and was told by a man out front that the building offered shelter. Adams decided to lay outside until he got help, and eventually he was startled awake by a man who stretched out his hand to take Adams in.
Now, Adams is taking part in the Fresh Start culinary program, which helps empower people living in homelessness with the skills to find employment and take care of their families and themselves.
Bright Bridge Ministries is a nonprofit, faith-centered ministry dedicated to providing support and resources to those in need by offering food, recovery services, housing and spiritual guidance. Last year Bright Bridge Ministries reopened His Place Shelter, a men's transitional housing facility that aims to move men from homelessness or crisis situations into stable environments. The aim of the program is providing accountability, structure and affordable housing to enable them to find security on their own.
The Fresh Start culinary training program, which had its first class last year, introduces students to the world of culinary arts and prepares them to re-enter the workforce.
More:Bright Bridge Ministries giving fresh start to men through new culinary program
More:Bright Bridge Ministry reopens His Place Shelter to help homeless men get back on their feet
The program was started by chef Phil Brown, who brought a condensed version of the program he taught in St. Augustine at St. Francis Housing Crisis Center and at First Coast Technical College.
This cohort is the second in the program history and has expanded to include seven participants from last year's class of four. Brown also added a service component to help teach the participants how to serve customers properly and be more empathetic about what servers are going through with customers. He also invited a guest executive chef to speak to students about what in a kitchen +is like.
Brown knows he is helping his students by boosting their confidence, teaching them new skill, and giving them a purpose. Now he said he hopes the kitchens and restaurants in Pensacola take notice of the Fresh Start program and hire some of the graduates because they're good, hardworking and reliable people who just need a chance.
“They have so much potential, they've hit (rock) bottom sort of, and they see this as an opportunity,” Brown said. “They know about the other class, so success breeds success and that's what's happening to these new students. They see the possibilities and I can already see the excitement in them.”
One of last year's graduates, Gerry Griffith, was able to receive a Safe Food certification and learned a variety of skills from knife cutting to food preparation.
Before he came into the program he was homeless and just a week sober. After graduating from the program he started to apply for jobs and had four job offers. Now Griffith is a cook at Restaurant NOLA where doors have opened up for him in pursuing his passion for cooking.
He believes Fresh Start has prepared him for the demand of the restaurant business. He still comes back and volunteers in the kitchen at Bright Bridge and even helps recruiting men from the shelter to take a chance on Fresh Start.
Griffith hopes to continue his love for cooking by applying for a culinary program at Pensacola State College.
“Bright Bridge is a great place for these guys to come in, when they do come in, to get on their feet and start back into society and get off the streets, because there is nothing out there but problems,” Griffith said. “Here they have an opportunity to advance themselves, learn a good trade and get themselves together. Some people do, some people don’t, but the ones who want to learn have a good chance here.”
Adams hopes to be one of the guys who will find purpose and stability again.
He has loved cooking since he was child, tasting his grandmother’s New Orleans style gumbo and the smell and taste of amazing dishes in his hometown.
He wants to cook for large quantities of people and bring the same joy and love to cooking as his hometown once gave to him.
“We don't know what tomorrow will bring. I may not be here in the next hour,” Adams said. “But I'm taking it as it comes and my goal is to stay clean and stay focused on God and do what I think is right.”
This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Pensacola Fresh Start culinary program helps homeless find jobs
