*Christian’s passion for hospitality sparked when he was only 10 years old and woke up early on Mother’s Day to bake a tray of cookies for his foster mother.
“The cookies didn’t come out amazing – we literally broke cinnamon sticks and put them in,” Christian said.
But he remembers feeling the pride that comes from preparing and serving delicious food for appreciative people, something that led him to pick up part-time jobs in restaurants.
So, when Christian arrived at Covenant House, after navigating some recent challenges in his life, he learned about the Cooking for Life (CFL) program. When he got into the CFL kitchen, he said, “it felt like home.
“I thought if I’m able to learn as much as possible, I can most likely be successful. I just need to do my part.”
He started the job-readiness program eager to first learn about business and workplace communication, which happens in the first part of the 8-week program.
Then, he moved on to the kitchen, where he learned food service safety, knife skills and preparatory methods, including “mise en place,” the French culinary term for having all the ingredients ready before cooking a dish.
“Mise en place is a perfect representation of how you should carry yourself day to day,” he said. “When you have everything in order, it makes things like going to school and getting your work done easier and more efficient than if you were disorganized.”
Christian’s positive attitude and determination served him well in the job placement he completed as part of the program. He also gained more experience by serving meals at Covenant House Toronto events, including the Sleep Out fundraising event.
Now, he’s starting his second year of college studying business with a focus on culinary management and wants to open his own food services business one day.
“I wouldn’t be where I am today without Covenant House,” he said. “I’m very thankful.”