Project Summary

KC SERVED (Sustainable Employment in Restaurants, Value-driven Employer/Employee Direction) will

provide food service/culinary training with supportive services designed to help underserved and at-risk
individuals overcome barriers to obtaining and sustaining meaningful employment. KC SERVED will do this
through our Culinary Cornerstones Training Program which goes beyond traditional workforce
development programs, offering intensive soft skills development through life skills classes, group
processing, individual counseling and a weekly participant assistance team meeting for early identification
of barriers to employment. In addition, KC SERVED will provide training and education to food service
employers to help them understand the challenges of individuals who live in poverty, suffer from trauma,
are victims of domestic violence, are overcoming substance abuse disorders, and/or are reintegrating into
society after incarceration.

History & Mission

Since its founding in 1989, Episcopal Community Services (ECS) has provided hunger relief programs in
Kansas City’s urban core and surrounding communities. Our mission is to engage the Episcopal and
broader communities in feeding the hungry and empowering the poor to move beyond the barriers of
poverty with dignity; in short, “Feeding the Hungry – Changing Lives.”

Through innovative programs and an extensive food distribution system, we fulfill this mission by:
providing immediate relief from hunger with nutritious meals through food pantries and hot meal
programs; maximizing resources in the community by food sourcing and rescue from local growers,
supermarkets and restaurants; and addressing the root causes of hunger through our Culinary
Cornerstones Training Program (CCTP), a 30-week, 800-hour vocational and life-skills training program,
and the focus of this proposal.

Recent Accomplishments
• Conversion of the Kansas City Community Kitchen to a “Dining with Dignity” restaurant-style service
model. This conversion was covered in more than 100 stories in local, regional, national and
international media. In addition, we offered a webinar that was attended by 185 people in 34 states
and nine countries.
• Re-launch of CCTP in early 2016, with new investment from the culinary industry and funders
throughout the area.
• Incorporation of Community Care into CCTP. Community Care consists of life skills classes,
processing groups, individual counseling and a weekly participant assistance team meeting to help
individuals overcome barriers to employment. ECS was one of only two agencies invited to present
at the national Catalyst Kitchens Member Summit in September 2016 on its Community Care
program.
• Expanded CCTP to include a cohort at the Johnson County Department of Corrections Adult
Residential Center in Gardner.
• ECS is leading the movement to explore ways to enhance the intersection of transportation and
employment through its leadership of the Employment Transportation Roundtable.
• ECS is working with Goodwill and other community stakeholders to help people move beyond the
“benefit cliff”—a term used to describe the unintended consequences of higher wages that causes
families to lose benefits, resulting in a net negative impact to their financial well-being.
• Finally, ECS is coordinating a growing network of industry-specific job training programs with local
organization such as The Grooming Project and The Sewing Labs to better meet the needs of
training participants.

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Organization Experience and Expertise
CCTP has been in existence since 2007; however, the program was revamped in 2016 with a focus on better
addressing the needs of individuals entering the workforce. The program expanded from 12 weeks to an
immersive 30-week, 800-hour program. The addition of a licensed clinical social worker as Director of
Community Care, and several masters-level social work interns (Community Care Liaisons) allows us to
provide services beyond culinary skills that address barriers to maintaining long-term, meaningful
employment. Adding to the established life skills curriculum, the program now includes Community Care,
which includes group processing, individual counseling, and case management.

CCTP operates under the guidance of a Culinary Advisory Council, consisting of more than 30 culinary and
food service industry leaders in Kansas City. The Greater Kansas City Restaurant Association Education
Committee is also engaged regularly for feedback and support.

Our reputation as a leader in workforce development and supportive services for this population in the
culinary industry is growing quickly. Our staff was asked to make a presentation about our Community Care
program at the Catalyst Kitchens national member summit in September 2016, leading to nearly a dozen
phone calls and email consultations to help other culinary training programs adopt similar services. A
growing number of restaurants and other food service organizations now turn to ECS as their “go to”
partner to fill vacant positions. In addition, many food service employers have asked ECS to provide
management training in areas such as trauma-informed care and motivational interviewing in their efforts
to provide better work environments for their staff and reduce turnover. ECS’ President/CEO is active in a
variety of initiatives and committees in Kansas City including the Kitchen Cabinet KC, the Health Care
Foundation of Greater Kansas City’s Healthy Communities Leadership Academy, and the Greater Kansas
City Food Policy Coalition and has actively worked with the Greater Kansas City Restaurant Association
Education Committee.

Project Director and Key Staff

Beau G. Heyen, President/CEO, is a graduate of Northwest Missouri State University, earning a bachelor’s
degree in psychology and a master’s degree in educational guidance and counseling. He has over 20 years
in the food service industry, including management positions in restaurants in Kansas City, Dallas, Houston,
New York City and Walt Disney World Resorts. In addition, he has been a professional school counselor,
specializing in student assistance programing to identify early interventions to ensure students were on
track for graduation. He spent seven years in social services focused on community mobilization (gathering
public and private partners to help move individuals and communities forward).

Beau has a track record of growth and innovation in anti-poverty services and hunger relief. Prior to joining
ECS, he led Community Mobilization at the Food Bank For New York City. His efforts included a
national awareness campaign to protect funding for SNAP (formerly known as food stamps) with strong
support from Feeding America, Kevin Bacon, Mario Batali, Anthony Bourdain, and anti-hunger organizations
across the country. He served as COO and Chief Development Officer for Masbia, a network of kosher soup
kitchens and food pantries that provided over 1.5 million meals to New Yorkers in 2014. He also served as
Director of Public Relations for West Houston Assistance Ministries, an ecumenical agency providing
support to children, families and individuals who are homeless or in crisis.

A graduate of the Perkins School of Theology at Southern Methodist University, Beau directed youth
ministries for Dallas-based Cathedral of Hope, a large United Church of Christ congregation with locations in
Houston and Oklahoma City and a strong LGBT following. From 2004-2007, he worked in the Kansas City
area as a school counselor and was a member of the Heartland Men’s Chorus.

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Kamisha Stanton, Director of Culinary Cornerstones, holds a Masters in Social Work from the University of
Missouri-Kansas City (UMKC). She comes to us with a great deal of experience in the employment, housing,
and mental health sectors. Previous employers include the Full Employment Council and Metro Lutheran
Ministries. She truly believes we have an extraordinary opportunity with the comprehensive services
provided by CCTP/Community Care that attack the issues of unemployment, social service needs, and
employment/vocational skills in one program.

Amy Simmons, Director of Community Care, is a Licensed Masters Social Worker who also serves as Field
Placement Coordinator for UMKC’s School of Social Work and an adjunct professor at Avila University. At
ECS, she oversees a team of graduate-level social work interns that serve as Community Care Liaisons
(counselors, life skills instructors, and caseworkers) for CCTP participants. Amy joined the team in August
2016. She has nearly two decades of experience working in both clinical and administrative roles. Her
passion for both program development and therapeutic interventions have fused seamlessly within her role
at ECS. 

Organizational Capacity to Sustain the Program

Over the past 18 months, ECS, under the leadership of Beau Heyen, has significantly grown its reputation in
the community through rigorous evaluation of all operations, and implementation of processes and
procedures that have enabled the organization to effectively track and communicate its true impact. As a
result, revenue mix has changed significantly, moving from an organization that was heavily grant-funded
to one with an appropriate mix of grants, unrestricted donations, event revenue, and in-kind donations. In
2016, ECS held its first annual gala, making three times more than projected. The gala highlighted CCTP
participants as chefs, and offered a special fund-a-need opportunity where attendees could sponsor CCTP
participants. Over the same 18 month period, the organization’s budget has nearly tripled, but the
organization is healthier and more sustainable today than it was in 2015.

Following are some of the specific things ECS is doing to sustain this program:
• Working to become a 2018 beneficiary of Kansas City Restaurant Week.
• Working directly with large organizations including St. Luke’s Health Systems, Aramark, and
Applebee’s to provide priority access to CCTP graduates in exchange for corporate sponsorships.
• Continuing to grow support form community partners, parishes (Episcopal and beyond), and
individual donors.
• We have a comprehensive grant calendar that works to strategically align funding opportunities
with our programs. We will approach or have approached other funders for CCTP that include the
Health Care Foundation of Greater Kansas City (Mental Health grant), State Street Foundation,
Menorah Heritage Foundation, Dunn Family Foundation, William G. McGowan Charitable Fund, and
the McGee Foundation.

Brief Project Description

The Culinary Cornerstones Training Program (CCTP) is an immersive 30-week, 800-hour culinary training
program. The program also includes supportive services that address individualized barriers to
employment. CCTP will provide culinary training and supportive services for 100 individuals over a twelve
month period. The majority of those served live below the poverty level, are victims of domestic violence,
homelessness, recovering addicts, and/or reintegrating into society after incarceration. Funding will be
used for training ($750/person) and internship ($500/person) stipends for these participants. These
stipends are unique to CCTP and are often what allows participants to remain committed to the program.

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Target Population
CCTP will target an estimated 100 unemployed, underemployed, and severely underserved/at-risk
individuals in the Kansas City Metropolitan Area. Recent data indicates that 12% of participants are in
residential treatment programs; 3% are in a domestic violence shelter and nearly one third of our
participants (34%) are in court-mandated drug treatment programs. Eighty-eight percent (88%) are age 40
or under. Specifically, 6% are between 18 and 24, 41% between 25 and 30, 41% between 31 and 40, and
12% over the age of 40. Nearly 58% are from Jackson County, 11% are from Wyandotte County and 31% are
from Johnson County (KS). As indicated previously, 51% are African American, 40% are Caucasian, 8%
Hispanic and 1% Other. Ninety-two percent (92%) live below the Federal Poverty Level (FPL) and the
remaining 8% are between the FPL and three times FPL. The vast majority have only a high school or high
school equivalency diploma. If they do not have either, we connect them with a high school equivalency
diploma program.

Opportunity
The food service industry in the United States employees millions of people and offers tremendous
potential. It is one of the easiest sectors to enter, as many entry-level jobs do not require extensive formal
education or training. Higher paying jobs in the industry, such as chef or head cook, can be obtained with
vocational training and experience. Furthermore, the industry is one of second chances. A survey by the
Idaho Commerce and Labor department of 31 occupations found that hospitality occupations were among
the top ten for considering ex-offenders. In fact, nearly three-fourths of employers looking for a cook would
consider hiring an ex-offender.

According to the US Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the median pay for a food
service manager in 2015 was $48,690/year. The “typical entry-level education” was a high school diploma
or equivalent, and there were 305,000 jobs in this category in the US. The median pay for a chef or head
cook was $41,500, and there were 127,500 jobs available. The BLS forecast for these jobs through 2024 is
growth of 9%, which the BLS describes as “faster than average.” In the Kansas City area, the annual average
wage was $43,360 in 2015—an income that would put a household of three people consisting of a single
mother and two children at better than 200% of the federal poverty level.

The potential of this sector is matched by demand for people to fill vacancies. According to the National
Restaurant Association (NRA), “Recruitment and retention of employees will re-emerge as a challenge for
restaurant operators.” A recent survey by NRA found that more than 50% of restaurant owners rank
recruiting and retaining employees as a “significant or moderate challenge.” Information from our food
service partners indicates that the gap between food service jobs and qualified people to fill the positions
exists in Kansas City, too, and will be a challenge into the foreseeable future.

CCTP is a unique connector in Kansas City, bridging the gap between the industry’s need for employees and
individuals looking for training and education that will lead to meaningful employment at a living wage,
helping them address poverty and hunger with dignity. The program also opens the door to opportunities
for advancement into higher paying positions such as food service manager or head cook. This program is
especially important for women as the industry allows for part-time work and flexible hours, and remains
an industry that, as noted above, is home to a significant and rising number of women-owned
establishments.

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Resources Available to Meet Opportunity
Unfortunately, culinary training is often expensive and out of reach for people who are homeless, living in
poverty, ex-offenders, veterans, or survivors of domestic violence. Consider the following:
• The Culinary Center of Kansas City (located in Overland Park) offers a nine-week series of classes on
cooking fundamentals at a cost of $1,125. That does not include the cost of the required white
chef’s jacket which costs $35.95 after the student discount.
• The culinary program at Johnson County Community College will cost more than $6,300 for Johnson
County residents and more than $7,400 for nonresidents. This program requires general education
courses such as psychology, composition, and public speaking and requires a two-year
commitment.
• The Culinary Fundamentals program at LeCoule Culinaire requires a commitment of 40 weeks and
has a total cost of more than $22,000. The Culinary and Restaurant Management program is a 70
week program, and tuition, fees, books, and supplies will cost more than $37,000.

Few of the individuals in the population served by CCTP would be able to afford these courses nor have
access to transportation to get them to the class site. Furthermore, few would be able to sustain their
households for the length of time required to complete the programs. Through paid internships and
apprenticeships, CCTP is designed to get people working in the industry within 20 weeks, making a
competitive wage at $12 - $15/hour.

The individuals we serve need extra services to help them obtain and maintain employment. Often, they
have significant challenges outside of job-related skills that impede their success. Community Care, part of
CCTP provides them with life skills such as preparing and living on a budget, preparing a resume,
interviewing, dressing appropriately for work, and digital literacy. Furthermore, many suffer from mental
health issues that require counseling in order to be meaningfully and consistently employed. CCTP
identifies these issues, connects them with resources in the community to address them, and provides case
management services to ensure they are accessing the help they need.

Project Approach
CCTP is evidence based:
• CCTP is part of the Catalyst Kitchens Network. Catalyst Kitchens (CK) was developed by Seattle-
based FareStart in 2010, and was designed to bring together “a unique team of social impact
entrepreneurs to help incubate, launch and scale food-service social enterprise based on the Fare
Start model.” The FareStart model was initially a grassroots effort working to “permanently break
the cycle of joblessness, poverty and hunger” (www.catalystkitchens.org). Since its founding, CK has
helped more than 150 organizations implement its unique, proven model. In 2012, CK won the
Social Impact Exchange’s Business Plan Competition. This competition recognized the organization’s
“demonstrated impact”
(http://www.catalystkitchens.org/sites/catalystkitchens/files/CK_SocialImpactExchange_pressrelea
se_6.15.2012_FINAL.pdf).
• According to Mazzara and Horwitz in “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Workforce Programs” (2016),
effective programs (1) actively engage local business; (2) use labor market data to drive decisions;
(3) treat education like a job; (4) connect people to careers; (5) provide wrap-around student
services; (6) tap innovative funding sources; and (7) embrace evaluation. CCTP does all of these
things. (http://www.thirdway.org/report/the-7-habits-of-highly-effective-workforce-programs)
• Dawson and Conway in their article “Build Ladders and Raise the Floor” (2014) advocate for “a re-
balancing of workforce development strategies…to improve the lives of low-wage workers.” They
note that fundamental changes in the economy and labor market are making “good jobs” scarce,
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 keeping people trapped in a growing “low-wage labor market” and limiting their ability to work into
the middle class. They advocate for more traditional “career ladder strategies” that are
accompanied by meaningful efforts to make “poor-quality jobs better” through both policy (such as
increased compensation, provision of benefits) and practice (such as working with employers to
address issues long-associated with low-paying jobs such as lack of training opportunities, lack of
respect for workers, and improving supervisory skills of their employees).
(http://www.aspenwsi.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/Build-Ladders-and-Raise-Floor-
concept-brief.pdf)
• Dawson and Conway in their follow-up article, “Restore the Promise of Work” (2016), outline five
essential elements that “combine policy and practice into a mutually supportive, integrated
strategy.” These elements are (quoted directly from the article):
o Build a relevant job-quality narrative: Articulate a unified public narrative that insists on the
necessity for decent, stable jobs—simultaneously benefitting the worker, the employer and
all residents within a region’s economy.
o Support a policy agenda: Public policy matters in setting a meaningful set of standards for
work. Because bad jobs come with a cost—a social cost—there is a public interest in setting
standards for work and ensuring those standards are well understood and enforced.
o Quid pro quo investments: When offering public/philanthropic services to, or making
investments in, specific businesses, bargain with employers. Negotiate improvements in job
quality for low-income workers in exchange for public or philanthropic support.
o Build business expertise: To assist businesses in making practical improvements in front-
line jobs, expertise in job design and a practical set of what is possible are necessary.
o Exemplar: Identify and lift up both high-road employers and low-income workforce
initiatives that offer concrete examples of how good jobs can be beneficial to all.
(http://www.aspenwsi.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/Restore-the-Promise-of-Work-The-
Aspen-Institute-2016.pdf)
CCTP has or is working to implement all five of these elements.

CCTP is also innovative:

As noted above, CCTP is based on the Catalyst Kitchens program model, which includes basic training that
covers five core life skills competencies. At the first meeting of our Culinary Advisory Council, we asked
food services representatives/managers to rank the most important features of a workforce training
program. Those five life skills competencies were in the top six characteristics identified.

While these competencies are covered in the Catalyst Kitchens model, they received only intermittent
attention. Because they were ranked so high by our advisory group, we redesigned our program to focus on
them through the addition of group processing and individual counseling. In addition, the Community Care
Liaisons work with each participant to create an action plan for potential barriers to employment in each
competency. In this way, CCTP provides intensive, individualized support for each participant’s particular
needs in the core areas. In short, we have created an immersive life-skills development program out of the
Catalyst Kitchens basic model based on the needs expressed by those in management and supervisory roles
in the food service industry.

Outcomes and Evaluation

Program outcomes and evaluation description is provided in the ECS 2017 Logic Model: KC SERVED. The
ultimate measure of our success is having at least 44% of individuals who enter our program secure
employment and remain employed for at least six months.