Rhode Island Community Food Bank

H E L P i N G FA M i L i E S A N D C H i L D R E N
Food Bank Provides Skills
for a Better Tomorrow
Jessica Martinez enrolled in the Food Bank’s 14-week culinary job-training program, Community Kitchen,
to gain the skills she needed to succeed in the workforce and support her family.
Until a year ago, Jessica Martinez and her husband
had always been self-sufficient. A family of six
from Warren, Jessica was an at-home mom with
the two youngest children while her husband
worked two jobs.
The recession hit Jessica’s family hard. “One of my husband’s
jobs laid off a lot of people and he lost his job. His second job
was at an auto body shop, but nobody was spending money
to fix cars.” Without much warning, the family went from
two full-time incomes to one part-time.
During the next six months, the family did their best to
get by, often paying one bill one month and a different one
the next month. “We were falling behind, but trying to do the
best we could.” Eventually, they couldn’t afford it anymore
and became homeless.
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With help from Crossroads Rhode Island, the family was
placed in a two-year transitional housing program. At about
the same time, Jessica enrolled in the Food Bank’s Community
Kitchen job-training program.
For 14 weeks, Jessica trained for a career in the food
services industry alongside nine other adult students, all
working to better their lives. Community Kitchen gave her
the skills and confidence she needed to succeed in the
workforce.
With her Community Kitchen certificate in-hand, Jessica
is starting a new career path, but she’ll never forget the difficulties
her family overcame on their journey. “I don’t want
to think about where we would be without the Food Bank.”