Mark your calendars — join us for our Summer Mixer on August 11.
Dear friends,
It’s a season of growth here at CHEFS. On July 27, we welcome our newest cohort of students, our first cohort of the school year, and our 106th CHEFS cohort. We’re excited about the diversity of backgrounds and life experiences they’re bringing into the kitchen.
We’re also thrilled to welcome Natalie Hopner as the new Director of Workforce Development, who now leads both our REACH and CHEFS programs. I’ll move from Interim Director into a supporting role to help ensure a smooth transition, and I’m excited about what her leadership brings.
Behind the scenes, CHEFS is settling into a new phase of operational stability, building the systems and routines that make our day-to-day work smoother for staff, create a more reliable training environment for students, and mean more dependable quality for the partners who count on us.
That consistency shows up clearly in our work with San Francisco’s Department of Disability and Aging Services, where our team delivers nearly 300 meals a day to older adults and adults with disabilities across the city, every day of the year. With each semi-annual menu cycle, we’ve improved nutrition, variety, and flavor while maintaining steady quality at scale.
And we’re proud to share a new partnership with LSG SkyChefs, a national airline catering company. Three of our recent workforce graduates have started internships at their SFO production facility so far this year.
Thank you for being part of this work with us.
Warmly,
Courtney Blake, Interim Director of CHEFS and Social Enterprise
Save the Date:
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| Join us Tuesday, August 11, from 4:30–6:30 PM at our production kitchen and training facility on Mission Street in San Francisco. Come see where the meals are made, sample new catering menu items, meet the staff, and catch up with friends of the program. |
CHEFS Employee Spotlights
Dennis Johnson, Executive & Catering Chef
Q. What’s a dish you enjoy on the current catering menu?
“I enjoy lemon herb roasted chicken because it combines simple ingredients with comforting flavors that appeal to many people. It’s a crowd favorite because the flavors are familiar and enjoyable. The warmth of freshly roasted chicken naturally brings people together around the table, encouraging conversation, laughter, and sharing memories.””
After 10-plus years in finance, Dennis made the shift to pursue his passion for working in the culinary arts. He has been with CHEFS for 4 years. In his free time, he enjoys hiking and relaxing at the beaches in Santa Cruz.
Daniela Euceda, Cook
Q. What does it mean to you to be cooking for the DAS and shelter communities?
“It feels good to cook for people in need. We make hundreds of meals a day. Completing all the tasks as a team by the end of the day makes me proud.”
Daniela is a graduate of the January 2024 CHEFS Training program. She’s been working in the CHEFS production kitchen for a year and a half. In her free time, she enjoys floating down rivers with her family; Reedley Beach is her favorite.
What’s New on the Menu
We’ve started sourcing our pastries, hoagies, and ciabatta from Starter Bakery in Berkeley; the quality has been a real upgrade, and we think you’ll taste the difference. Starter Bakery also donates a portion of its unsold bread back to our program, helping stretch what we’re able to get out to the community.
On the breakfast side, we’ve added Sight Glass Coffee, which is now offering recurring training opportunities for both our production staff and student cohorts- another partner investing directly in our students, not just in our menu. If you’ve got an event on the calendar, our current catering menu is here!
Buy a Meal, Give a Meal.
When you support CHEFS, every meal you buy puts a meal in front of someone in our community who needs it and helps our students re-enter the workforce. An opportunity, a meal — both can be life-changing. Thank you for being here and being part of it.
— The CHEFS Team
Support Students Working Hard to Transform Their Lives
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