CHEFS is a culinary training program that prepares students for entry-level jobs in the food service industry. The 10-week program includes classroom instruction, hands-on kitchen training, and support from employment specialists to help secure permanent jobs. Students earn their Food Handlers Certification and receive a weekly stipend while building skills.
On the street ● In a shelter ● In transitional housing ● In a residential treatment program ● In a supportive housing building ● Meet HUD (Housing and Urban Development) definition of extreme low-income ● Have experienced homelessness in the past ● Are residents of San Francisco
Using a double bottom line approach, CHEFS’ kiosk/café will generate income that can be reinvested in its social enterprise business and also further CHEFS’ social mission, which is to assist people with experiences of homelessness who enroll in CHEFS culinary program, providing them with valuable front-of-house experience and complementing their 10-week culinary training with essential customer service and hospitality skills. The CHEFS Social Enterprise 2026 budget will show the double bottom line, factoring in the mission-drive social costs like higher supervisor-to-employee ratio for overseeing CHEFS trainees, lower-than-average efficiency, and extra support and on-the-job training costs. For CHEFS’ kiosk/small café at The Diva, we envision a front-serving cashier/barista position that CHEFS trainees can rotate through, and one permanent CHEFS staff position.
Fill out this form to express interest in participating in the CHEFS workforce development program.
Local chefs and restaurateurs provide a tremendous amount of support for the program by opening their kitchens to CHEFS interns or volunteering time as guest instructors. Below is a sampling of the many professionals donating to CHEFS.
ECS recently acquired a new van to help us recover food, produce meals, and deliver these meals to our most vulnerable clients.The increased cargo space in the new van will allow for staff to effectively pick up food and deliver meals to clients, from guests at our Shelter-in-Place hotels to clients at the Canon Kip Senior Center, who count on ECS for a healthy, nourishing meal.
Funded by a grant from the Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery (CalRecycle) through California Climate Investments.
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