Transitions’ newest service, the New Leaf
Bakery-Café Job Training Program, is a unique blend of education, hands-on work
experience and supportive services designed to help low-income women gain the
self-confidence and basic skills necessary for choosing additional education or
moving into community based employment. This program takes into consideration
the special needs that women face, especially those who struggle with
disadvantages that translate into barriers to employment. Histories of poor
decision making, domestic violence, or mental health issues have limited
efforts to gain employment, but our program tries to lift women beyond this
point.
We provide
structured food service training by our professional chef instructor in a
commercial kitchen. Each woman builds a portfolio of work experience through
hands-on training in a one-on-one setting, covering basics from proper knife
use to food presentation and nutritional awareness. The program also includes:
Building interpersonal
and teamwork skills
Front of
house training
Life skills
classes
Communication
and conflict resolution practice
Employment
support
Resume writing, job searches, and
interview preparedness
Our goal is for self sufficiency and self
confidence to translate into marketable skills for employment and the ability
to manage a healthy personal life.
The New Leaf Difference
New Leaf
Bakery-Café is one of many organizations trying to create a healthier Spokane community. As a
social enterprise, we are interested in offering a socially just service to
those who participate in the program while offering a quality experience for
those who access our end services– New Leaf Bakery Food to Go and New Leaf
Café. We believe that by empowering women through the training, their enjoyment
is enhanced and reflected in the quality of their work, which is then passed on
to customers who are invested in businesses that are environmentally and
socially conscious.
The
New Leaf training program offers a positive and sustainable activity in Spokane. We train women,
aiding them to access better employment and education, and enable them to build
better lives for themselves and their families. Keeping faithful to the
Transitions mission, our program engages other low-income and homeless women to
participate in our community garden which provides local produce which enhances
the nutrition of the food our trainees create. Our goal is to make a small
impact on the environment, create a sustainable system of recycling and
reusing, while showing women the power for change they hold within themselves.
Join us every last Wednesday of the month for
our Bake Sale at St. John’s Cathedral from 11 am until 1 pm. Selection varies every month, and we make
special items for holidays like Valentine’s Day and Christmas.
Wish List
Looking ahead to 2010 we invite you to consider
how you might support this new endeavor.Below is our wish list for products and supplies that will help us
provide a quality program for women we serve and quality products for our Food
to Go and New Leaf Café. Donations may be dropped off at Transitions
Administration Office, 1002 N Superior. We are
grateful for your support!
These items are typically available at URM or Costco:
Bar towels
White industrial food service aprons
2 Tortilla presses (available at Target)
Gallon size zip lock bags (case)
2 quarters of pure vanilla
Case of butter
Gallon of olive oil
Gallon of vegetable oil
Sweetened coconut flakes
Powdered sugar
Brown sugar
Peanut butter
Salted, roasted peanuts
Dried cranberries
Sweetened condensed milk
Semi sweet chocolate chips
Dark chocolate chips
Pecans
25 lbs. sugar
50 lbs. flour / whole, wheat, and white
We also need the following equipment and kitchen items:
If you are interested in adding your business to our potential employer list please contact Sheila Fitzgerald, Program Director, at (509) 496-0396 or email her at sfitzgerald@help4women.org.
