Mosaic Life Care Foundation is awarding a CollaborACTION Grant worth $50,000 to a collaborative project between the Second Harvest Community Food Bank and St. Joseph Youth Alliance.
The grant will assist the two organizations in creating and implementing the First Course Culinary Academy. The academy will offer a culinary training program for opportunity youth, ages 17 – 24, combined with adult basic education.
Chad Higdon, executive director of Second Harvest Community Food Bank (SHCFB), is excited to partner with the Youth Alliance and introduce the new program to the region.
“We are very excited about this partnership with Youth Alliance and the opportunity to develop this program thanks to support received by the Foundation,” Higdon said. “The opportunities this program will provide will be invaluable to the individuals who are selected and life skills they gain through the program.”
The culinary career training program will be available for young individuals in Andrew, Buchanan, and DeKalb counties. The program provides education, occupational skills training with culinary arts, leadership development, and post-program placement opportunities for youth.
Robin Hammond, executive director of the St. Joseph Youth Alliance, said the grant provides a unique opportunity to mold together the strengths of the Youth Alliance and SHCFB into a program that will forever positively impact the lives of individuals in the region.
CollaborACTION grants support solutions that have the potential to impact education levels, character development, and workforce skills. Innovative project proposals need to be a collaboration between two or more partnering organizations. The grants are awarded on an annual, competitive basis.
For more information, please call 816-271-7180.
