“Feed your appetite. Nourish your community.”
It’s the motto and driving philosophy of Providence in Winston-Salem, a family of programs of Second Harvest Food Bank of Northwest North Carolina created and led by UNC Greensboro alumnus, Chef Jeff Bacon.
Since first partnering with Second Harvest in 2006, Bacon has dedicated himself to fighting job and food insecurity in the state by sharing his love of cooking through Providence Culinary Training Program. The program is a hands-on, 13-week training experience for individuals struggling to find employment. Whether they are looking for new skills after a job loss, looking to start over after serving time in prison, or recovering from addiction, Providence students are given a chance to start over with new workplace skills, professional certifications, and a newfound sense of purpose.
“That’s the greatest gift you can give another person,” Bacon said. “I can teach you how to make a sauce and give you the technical training, but teaching you to believe in yourself and teaching you that there’s something inside you worth knowing about and believing in is really the most important work. That’s what keeps people from giving up hope.”