Ronald Brown can recall the exact date of what was supposed to be his final class at Chicago’s Community Kitchens: March 24.

Brown, a 53-year-old Chicagoan born and raised on the city’s South Side, had a joined the Food Depository’s 14-week culinary job training program to hone his cooking skills and create a new path for himself after losing stable employment several years ago.

Then the pandemic hit. After COVID-19 began to spread through Illinois, prompting a shelter-in-place order and new health guidelines, the Food Depository was forced to put its flagship back-of-the-house Chicago’s Community Kitchens training on hold.

Despite the unprecedented challenges, Food Depository staff and partners quickly adapted to support those already working through the program. As a result, Brown and a dozen of his classmates were finally able to finish what they started, graduating amid a global pandemic.

The Food Depository’s workforce development staff also quickly pivoted to offer four-week front-of-house and six-week food handler trainings to prepare students for jobs that are currently in demand during the ongoing pandemic.

Completing the program, especially with the unexpected barriers, felt like “a real victory,” said Brown, who’s now employed at a grocery store not far from his home, a job he was connected to through the Food Depository.

“It just feels good to be working. I haven’t had a job, so the fact that I have somewhere to go every day … something to do, and of course to get a check, I’m happy just off of that.”

Ronald Brown, graduate of the Food Depository’s workforce development program

In fiscal year 2020, 48 students completed the Food Depository’s front-of-house and food handler trainings designed to help connect people to jobs that are currently in demand in the ongoing crisis.

Although the 14-week culinary training is on hold due to the pandemic, the Food Depository’s front-of-house customer service excellence training and food handler training have taken on increased importance.

These trainings are offered through a hybrid of mostly distance and some in-person learning.

We’re immensely grateful to our donors, staff and students who have helped us to continue to connect people to needed jobs.