News - FareStart

When an offender leaves the
Washington State Department of
Corrections (DOC) prison system,
they’re released with $40,
the clothes on their back, and a
one-way bus ticket back to the
county of conviction. By releasing
inmates without a job, and often
no address to call home, the DOC
inadvertently becomes a major
feeder to the homeless population.
FareStart has now partnered with
the DOC in an effort to curtail the
flow to homelessness.
“The DOC staff are thrilled to
have an option for those ready to
be released, and to improve their
chances of building a better life,”
explains Tom Chatriand, FareStart
Director of Student Services. The
News
An Alternative to Homelessness for the Newly Released
INSIDE
Chef Spotlight: Amy McCray of
Eva Restaurant . . . page 2
Homelessness in King County . . .
page 3
Hats off to Graduate Michael
Edlefson . . . page 4
How you can help . . . page 5
soon-to-be-released inmates can’t
come to the regular FareStart 9:30
a.m. intake each Tuesday, so the
DOC counselors refer those who
might benefit most. The inmates
interview by telephone with
FareStart Student Services. When
released, they check into an adult
shelter that has been reserved by
FareStart and start the training
program the following Monday.
“I have found FareStart to be
the best opportunity for offenders,”
says Kirk Eide, a Classification
Counselor at the DOC. “I
placed an individual at FareStart
in January 2007 who had previously
been dealing illegal drugs
to make a living. He had no viable
work skills, but reported a desire
to be a chef since his teenage
years. He did not believe that he
would qualify for FareStart. When
I told him he did, he had intense
joy in his face. He was practically
bouncing up and down with hap-
Fall 2007
piness from that day on.”
Some nervousness was expressed
when FareStart first
secured housing for students
entering from DOC. “But what
people don’t realize is that it was
the same before. The year before
we started working with DOC,
53% of our students were felons,”
says FareStart’s Chatriand. “Now
we’re just getting them before they
spend time out on the streets.”
The partnership with DOC
began in late 2006. Since that time
FareStart has enrolled 32 DOC students,
of whom three have graduated
and secured jobs, one quit the
training to go to work, and 15 are
still enrolled. Program completion
rates are consistent with previous
years, and the tight job market
has made securing employement
much easier for FareStart graduates,
including those with a criminal
background.
FareStart is a job training and placement program for homeless and disadvantaged
individuals. Over the past 15 years, FareStart has provided the opportunity for more
than 2,000 people to transform their lives, while also serving nearly 3 million meals to
disadvantaged men, women, and children. www.farestart.org

Chef Spotlight:
Amy McCray of Eva Restaurant
by Jen Osborn, FareStart Community Relations
Chef Amy McCray, of Eva, got involved with FareStart eight years ago and
continues to be one of our strongest champions in the restaurant community.
We recently asked Chef Amy about why she supports the program:
What prompted your involvement with FareStart?
Eight years ago I was the chef at Chez Shea and knew about FareStart from
others in the business. When we needed a prep cook, I contacted FareStart.
On my first Guest Chef Night, Jim, the cook we hired from FareStart, came
with me!
What is your favorite thing about being a FareStart Guest Chef?
I love teaching the students the reality of restaurant kitchens, bolstering
their confidence, and encouraging them to achieve their goals. The best
thing is learning something [from the students] every time. Students teach
me how to look at things from a different perspective and how to pull it all
together.
Do you have a favorite Guest Chef Night experience to share?
Every Guest Chef Night has exceptional students. A few years ago we had
a student save us from potential catastrophe. Our pastry chef wrote down
the recipe incorrectly which would have made half the dessert we needed.
The student caught the mistake and rushed to help us make more – that
student had very strong promise.
As a busy chef who supports other great causes, why do you feel that
sharing your skills and experience helps the whole community?
As a small business owner, I feel it’s important to return our economic
support to other independent businesses and causes we support. But more
than just contributing
financially, we need to
share our occupational
and creative skills too
– to educate, encourage,
and inspire. This helps us
all grow.
Because of generous
donations of time and talent
from great local chefs
like Amy, FareStart fundraising
events and weekly
Guest Chef Nights have
raised more than $1.5
million dollars in the past
15 years. In turn, their
support has sparked the
interest and involvement
of thousands more: guests,
volunteers, and donors
who eagerly support the
program and FareStart
students who are working
hard to make positive
changes in their lives.
2
Kale, White
Bean and
Linguiça Soup
Courtesy of Chef Amy McCray, Eva
Restaurant
3 T Butter
1 Onion, chopped
2 T Garlic, minced
1 lb Linguiça Sausage*
2 c White Beans, cooked
1 lb Red Potatoes, roughly
diced
2 qt Chicken Stock
1⁄2 lb Kale, stems removed and
roughly chopped
Salt and Pepper, of course
Melt the butter in a heavy,
deep soup pot over medium heat.
Add the onions and cook until
softened; add the garlic and cook
for one more minute.
Turn up the heat and add the
sausage, stirring and cooking until
the sausage has browned. Pour
in the chicken stock, scraping up
any of the delicious browned bits
crusted on the bottom of the pot.
Add the diced potatoes, the
cooked beans and the chopped
kale. Throw in a good bit of salt
and pepper, to get those flavors
moving!
Bring the soup to a simmer,
and then turn it down to cook
slowly until the potatoes are
cooked and the kale is tender–
around twenty minutes. Taste and
adjust that seasoning.
*Linguiça is a spicy pork sausage:
other sausages can be substituted or
ground pork
can be mixed
with healthy
amounts of
garlic and spicy
paprika to get
that flavor.

Homelessness
in King
County
by Rebecca Ehrlichman, Development
Associate
On any given night, there
are at least 7,839 homeless men,
women, and children in the suburban
cities, urban centers, and rural
towns of King County, including
more than 2,500 individuals who
meet the federal definition for
chronically homeless.
King County’s 10-Year Plan to
End Homelessness, a collaborative
effort between the City of Seattle,
the Church Council of Greater
Seattle, King County, Eastside
Human Services Alliance, North
Urban Human Services Alliance,
Seattle-King County Coalition for
the Homeless, South King County
Council of Human Services, and
the United Way of King County,
has the goal of eliminating homelessness
in King County by the year
2014. FareStart is in alignment
with the county’s 10-Year Plan to
End Homelessness and is excited
about the changes it will bring in
the way our community addresses
homelessness.
This goal of ending – rather
than managing – homelessness
will be achieved by seeking longterm
and sustainable solutions
to the issue. Through the coordinative
efforts of social service
agencies, the 10-Year Plan aims to
develop an enhanced communitybased
response to the threat of
homelessness.
As affordable housing options
are increased significantly through
this plan, FareStart will be dynamic
in its outreach efforts to keep in
line with the trends and needs of
our Seattle-area community. As
members of our community are
placed in housing, the need for
job-training will play a critical role
in ensuring the self-sustainability
of these individuals. FareStart’s
culinary job training program will
continue to reach out to those who
lack the experience and on-thejob
training, to help them achieve
employment in the food service
industry.
FareStart: Providing
a Community
The first line of the FareStart
mission statement – “FareStart
provides a community that
transforms lives” – is the crux of
FareStart’s work. While there are
many specific factors that lead to a
person losing their home – mental
illness, chemical dependency, domestic
violence, a sudden financial
hardship – the underlying factor of
all of these is the lack of a connection
to a supportive community.
That’s why it’s critical for
FareStart to restore a student’s
connection to their community,
or provide that community if one
never existed. By doing so, we
support our students as they gain
the skills and training necessary to
build new futures for themselves
and to achieve their goals of selfsustainability,
employment, and
ultimately, ending their personal
cycle of homelessness.
3
News from
FareStart
Development
– Dan Johnson, FareStart
Development Director
Once again this year, FareStart
has been extremely fortunate
to receive an outpouring of
generosity from the community
to support our mission and work.
In addition to recent acclaim
– ranging from the Downtown
Seattle Association naming
FareStart its Downtown Champion
of 2007, to being recognized in
Seattle Metropolitan Magazine
as having “Seattle’s Best Lunch”
– FareStart has received a number
of notable gifts this year:
• Separate multiyear grants,
each more than $150,000,
from the Paul G. Allen Family
Foundation and United Way
of King County to support the
expansion of our services
• A $50,000 grant from
Microsoft in recognition of the
company’s Technical Recognition
Award winner Scott Wiltamuth
and his team
• Not to mention other
generous gifts from foundations,
corporations, benefit events, and
individuals, culminating in our
record-breaking, 15th Annual
“Night on the Town” Auction,
which raised $696,000.
We are grateful for all these
gifts, as they make it possible for
us to continue providing culinary
training, Life Skills classes, and
vital services (long-term shelter,
counseling, medical services,
and transportation) for hundreds
of students every year. This is a
particularly important time for the
community to continue supporting
FareStart, as we work to expand
our services and double the
number of individuals we serve.
Thank you for your continued
support!

Hats Off to
FareStart
Graduate
Michael Edlefson
by Mary Beth Gunson, FareStart Intern
Krystella Conner, Executive Chef at
McCormick’s Fish House, describes FareStart
graduate Michael Edlefsen as one of her
“best hires!” He graduated this summer and
immediately started working full time as a prep
cook and broiler at McCormick’s.
Edlefson credits FareStart with his success and
said the program changed his life. He describes it
as a remarkable, well-rounded program that gave
him the right skills to start his cooking career. He
especially enjoyed the “opportunity to work with
the top chefs
in Seattle and absorb their knowledge.”
Chef Conner met Edlefson while
working at a FareStart Guest Chef Night
and she was so impressed with his skills
that she offered him a job. “I am so
happy Michael is on our team because
he is very professional, humble and
willing to learn,” she says.
Conner frequently uses FareStart as an
employment source because it is “a winwin
for everyone.” She truly believes
that a second chance is sometimes all a
person needs to be successful. “We all
have hardships,” she says.
Edlefson is really enjoying the
opportunity to work at McCormick’s.
He describes it as “an awesome, friendly
place with a family environment.” He
says “it is a place you don’t want to walk
away from.”
He really enjoys cooking because
“the best way to make people happy
is through their stomach.” Edlefson
is very grateful for his new start; he
loves working hard and building his
career. He hopes to one day become an
Executive Chef.
4
Strangercrombie 2007
The T Stranger’s annual al ch cha
charity auctionn
will benefit FareStart. Last year we raised
$40,000 for NW Harvest.
Th TThis is year how much we raise is up
to
you and we need your help.
Bid on things like :
A local oca ca cal chef c cooks at t your yo house! use se!
Buy the fr fro front cover of The Stranger! nge ge ger! r!
Gift certificates, getaway packages ages
and more!
Watch W for The Strangercrombie issue
on December 6, and bid, , bid, bi bid, d, bid b
for FareStart!
If you or your business would like to donate
to Strangercrombie, please contact
strangercrombie@thestranger.com
Did you know?
FareStart businesses contribute more
than 40% of the organization’s
annual operating budget.
Supporting FareStart businesses is a
great way to support the FareStart
program and students.

Five Ways to Help
FareStart during
the Holidays
by Mary Beth Gunson, FareStart
Intern
In the spirit of the upcoming
holiday season, here are some
simple ways you can help make a
difference.
1
FareStart Catering provides
everything for a successful
event – multi-course dinners,
cocktail parties, business
lunches, breakfasts – you
name it! (206) 267-7606
2
3
4
Gift Cards. Give your favorite
person a FareStart gift card
from the FareStart Restaurant
or the Café at 2100.
Tax-Deductible Financial
Donations. Help fund our
students by sending in a
monetary gift or making a
donation online at www.
farestart.org.
by Jen Osborn, FareStart Community
Relations
What makes a great FareStart
volunteer? At the very least it
helps to love food! But Rob Nyberg,
a loyal Guest Chef Night and
event volunteer, eagerly jumps in
wherever needed – proving his
support goes way beyond the dinner
plate.
Rob knew about FareStart
for years but it wasn’t until, upon
a friend’s suggestion, he began
Contribute to our Student
volunteering that he started to
really “get it.” When Rob first saw
Wish List. Donate new
a student graduation, he realized
sleeping pillows and pillow that FareStart was offering some-
cases, or gift cards (e.g.
Walgreens, Bartell’s, Rite Aid,
Target or Fred Meyer).
www.farestart.org
thing that really works. Now he is
a regular (every week!) Thursday
volunteer and handles a variety
of responsibilities, like expediting
– acting as a liaison – between the
volunteer servers, the students,
5
Volunteer. Give a helping
hand on one of our shelter
delivery runs. A few hours a
week can make a tremendous
difference! (206) 267-6225
and the Guest Chef. Rob is great
FareStart’s 2006 Annual Report
is now available online. Please
visit www.farestart.org, and
thank you for your support!
5
Volunteer *slash* Foodie Extraordinaire
in this key role, because his communication
style lends patience in
stressful scenarios, like when the
kitchen gets slammed.
Rob passionately explains “I
sincerely enjoy working with students
during Guest Chef Night. I
love seeing them dig in and focus.
Sometimes the lines are blurred
between students and volunteers;
we are all just working together as
a team.”
As for his favorite Guest Chef,
he names Josh Green of Ponti
because he lets the students learn
through doing almost all of the
work themselves. Rob loves seeing
the excitement each student
has for learning and creating on
Thursdays.
Without the dedication of volunteers
like Rob, who help run the
restaurant each Thursday, support
our fundraising events, and champion
the efforts of our students,
we could never be so successful.
FareStart is truly a community effort
and we couldn’t be happier to
count Rob as part of that community.
Thank you, Rob, and all the
community volunteers that make
FareStart possible.
Did you know?
With the move to our new
location, FareStart’s goal is to
double the number of students
we serve by 2011, and to
support the majority of that
growth by increasing business
revenue. We’ve already made
progress, and we want to do
more! In 2007 we have increased
enrollment and retention by
10% each, and have increased
restaurant revenue by more
than 200%. Thank you for your
continued support, which is key to
growing our program.

What the New FareStart Home Means to Us . . .
Thanks to tremendous community
support, FareStart moved to
a newly renovated building at 7th
& Virginia in January 2007. The
building has the capacity to double
the number of people we serve over
the next four years.
Finally we have the space to have a
real training department – chef trainers
in each kitchen dedicated to working
with students and making sure they
understand and are sticking to their
tasks. It helps so much with retention
and easing students through the chaos
of a working kitchen. The kitchens feel
more relaxed, and students love it.
– Tom Chatriand, Director, Student
Services
OUR MISSION:
FareStart provides a community that
transforms lives by empowering homeless
and disadvantaged men, women, and
families to achieve self-sufficiency
through life skills, job training, and
employment in the food service industry.
Painting by “The Painting Activist”
www.ashleycecil.com
FareStart’s biggest fundraiser of the
year is the “Night on the Town” Auction
and Dinner. The event keeps growing
– this year’s auction raised $696,000,
with over 450 items auctioned. That
means organizing and moving all those
items, plus 50 cases of wine, from
our office to the Grand Hyatt. Before
our new building, that all happened
up and down three flights of stairs.
Now we have elevators. That’s HUGE!
– Suzanne Sullivan, Special Events
Manager
My favorite thing about the building
is the two kitchens. You get a sense for
what it’s like to work in two different
kinds of working kitchens – upstairs
a restaurant line, and downstairs a
production kitchen.” – Irene, Current
FareStart Student
I feel proud to show off our dining
room to potential customers. I know
that when we host events in our space
we are showcasing the best of what
we do. Plus, I get to hear people “ooh”
and “ahh” over how beautiful our
facility is all the time! – Cle Franklin,
Catering Sales Coordinator
There are many things to love about
the new restaurant. I guess my favorite
things are: 1) The Community table
– especially when two guests who previously
had never met manage to strike
up a conversation. 2) The amazingly
organized service station and attention
to detail within the restaurant. 3) The
wonderful staff!!! I love working here
because I love the people I’m working
around. – Angela King, Front of House
Trainer / Lead Server
FARESTART
700 Virginia • Seattle, WA 98101
(206) 443-1233
info@farestart.org • www.farestart.org
Newsletter Contact:
Karla Smith-Jones, karla@farestart.org
(206) 267-6212
Non-profit org
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