The city's most down-on-their-luck residents are getting a fresh start by dicing, slicing and mincing their way through Cincinnati Cooks, a pilot job-training program in the West End.

        Every day, from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., these adults who once lived in shelters or on welfare visit the Queen City Vocational Center to learn the food service trade, working toward Ohio-endorsed food service certificates and obtaining jobs in the real world.

        FreeStore/FoodBank, which annually disperses 12 million pounds of groceries to more than 500 agencies, sponsors the pilot program that conducted its first graduation ceremony last month for four students.

        After completing a 10-week course, the graduates are working for local catering, restaurant and food-service businesses. They earn $8 to $12 an hour.

        “Ain't no way I've ever come close to (earning) that,” said Robert Jones, 39, a recovering alcoholic from Over-the-Rhine. He spoke after placing two casseroles made of olives, sauteed vegetables and tomato sauce in the oven and wiping down huge metal countertops.
       

Welfare to self-reliance
               His schooling also entails traditional book work, going on field trips, learning food sanitation skills and how to be more aggressive when pursuing employment. He is quizzed weekly by chef trainer Fernando Scarbriel and must pass a test before receiving the state's food-service certificate.

        “With welfare reform, we were seeing a lot of people capable of work but (without) a good work history. We thought they could become self-reliant,” said Gary Goosman, FreeStore/FoodBank director.

        The agency is budgeted to spend up to $160,000 on the new program. Money for this year's pilot effort was provided by the Lois and Richard Rosenthal Foundation and Sara Lee Co.

        Mr. Goosman hopes to eventually enroll 12 stu dents in each 10-week session. His goal is to sell their creations — which have included peach crisps, baked casseroles and poached salmon — to local residential facilities.

        For now, the class numbers 11 students. Their concoctions are being donated to soup kitchens.

        Sherrie Johnson, 33, who lives in public housing in the West End, heard about the new program from her social worker. The mother of four children had been unemployed for some time and eagerly enrolled.

        Since then, she has made oven-fried chicken for her children. She learned to make the dish in class. She also has persuaded her sister, Victoria Ramsey, 35, to enroll in the program.

        “I've been here for five weeks and I love it. I love cooking,” Ms. Johnson said. “It's going to be a heckuva lot better than sitting at my house doing absolutely nothing.”

        Those eligible for the Cincinnati Cooks program must be 18 years of age, have basic literacy skills, and be drug- and alcohol-free.

        For more information, 929-9218.

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