Workforce

Investing in Breadwinners

Our “Investing in Breadwinners” programming provides immediate stability and customized career pathways for our entire Hot Bread Kitchen community of women previously or currently employed in the NYC food industry as well as many of the small food enterprises we’ve helped incubate and launch. 

The COVID-19 pandemic has taken a disproportionate toll on this community, with many workers unemployed and small businesses struggling to survive. Securing a stable income for these individuals and their families is the first priority.

We help these Breadwinners move forward on their individual journey toward economic independence and mobility. By taking a human-centered approach and tapping into our array of program options, we customize solutions that build household income and momentum toward career goals.

Stability & Security

We provide income supports and immediate earning opportunities to Hot Bread Kitchen alumni of our workforce program and MWBE alumni of our small business programs, in the form of emergency grants, new connections to customers, job training, job placement and more.

We activate our wraparound retention team—providing vital social work support in the form of case management and crisis counseling related to mental health, housing and food insecurity, and childcare. 

Our aim is to help Breadwinners secure their livelihoods by earning a living wage through employment in a stable job or running a successful business.

Career Coaching and Upskilling

Our individualized coaching provides women and MWBE owners with the insights and resources to envision a meaningful career trajectory and map out the education, skills and connections to get there. 

We know from experience and comprehensive program evaluation that focusing on the four pillars of education and career, financial asset building, family stability and well-being creates a solid foundation for personal and professional satisfaction.

Facilities Management

We launched a new program in 2020 to train and place talented Hot Bread Kitchen alumni with in-demand, living wage jobs, that include but also transcend the food industry. Facility management jobs not only offer pay well above a living wage, but also provide transferable skills that can fuel future career growth in a variety of industries. This collaboration with the International Facility Management Association (IFMA) Foundation helps fill a projected talent shortage in the facilities management field while meeting a growing demand from facilities employers for a more diverse workforce.

Partners

We expand connections and open doors for our job seekers through our network of skilled partners such as the International Facility Management Association (IFMA) who will provide on-ramps to jobs in and outside of the food industry and through our work with Food for Soul that provides meaningful sales to our MWBE owners while providing much-needed meals to local communities experiencing food insecurity.