Tiffany first moved to New York 10 years ago from North Carolina. A single mom, she dreamed of pursuing a career in the culinary industry since she was a child, but struggled to take the first steps towards achieving her goals. Dealing with family loss and devastating grief, Tiffany experienced a period of depression and unemployment that she wasn’t sure how to overcome. Then, motivation came in a dream: “one night I had a dream about my brother, and he was telling me to get up and follow my dream instead of looking for a 9-5 job just to get by,” she said.
It was then that Tiffany learned about Hot Bread Kitchen’s Culinary Fundamentals program through a workforce program she had enrolled in as part of her SNAP benefits. “I jumped right on it [and applied to Hot Bread] as soon as I got off that call,” Tiffany said. “When I got the email saying I got in I was so excited, I was jumping up and down.”
At the very beginning of the program, Tiffany commented that she felt nervous and unsure of herself. This feeling quickly went away with the guidance and reassurance the chef instructors provided. “We were in class and Chef Barbara asked what specific jobs we were looking for and where we see ourselves in the future. I told her I see myself having a restaurant, a TV show, a bakery, a food truck. And she said, ‘Sounds like you want everything, you just want to be a Food Empress,’ and everyone agreed.”
“Learning from Hot Bread Kitchen was incredible, my knife skills are impeccable now. I have my own station at work and… I recently started the SEED program to get my business a little more formalized.” – Tiffany, Hot Bread Kitchen member
Two weeks after completing our culinary training program, Tiffany started her job at a corporate cafeteria with Restaurant Associates. She is now thriving in her new position and has already earned more responsibility after just a few months on the job. “I used to be a prep cook and now I’ve already moved up. I started in July and a week and a half later they gave me my own station,” she said. “This job has really given me a chance… I’ve been at every station already. I didn’t think I would make it this far within a few weeks of working there. I couldn’t wait to tell Chef Barbara. And when I did, she said she was so proud of me. Every morning I wake up, get ready for work, I’m in a happy mood, and as soon as I’m at work I’m just doing it.”
Tiffany’s new position has also helped her to achieve financial stability. “The pay affords me to pay my bills. That’s all I need, to pay my bills and make sure my son has somewhere to lay his head at night,” she said.“The independence I have now feels so great. When school started I was able to get my son his new school clothes. I felt so good about it.”
“The independence I have now feels so great. When school started I was able to get my son his new school clothes. I felt so good about it.” – Tiffany, Hot Bread Kitchen member
On top of progressing in her career goals, Tiffany is also pursuing a future in food entrepreneurship through our HBK Incubates: SEED program. “I bake all the time, I sell cakes on the side, and I actually recently started the SEED program to get my business a little more formalized. That’s been going good.” Tiffany plans to name her business for a nickname she got from her brother, “Tiff Suavee’s Restaurant.”
Community at Hot Bread Kitchen has continued to play a part in her new job, where she works with another graduate from her cohort. Feeling grateful for all she learned and is continuing to learn at Hot Bread, Tiffany told us she’s eager to stay involved with our work. “I hope to be more than just an alum of Hot Bread Kitchen. I hope people will see more of my face. I really like Hot Bread Kitchen and all the people I met there.”
