Supported by the Toronto Enterprise Fund, Hawthorne was established in December 2012 and has helped

A social enterprise supported lodging cabins branson missouri by United Way Toronto, the popular downtown eatery’s social mission is as important as the fare. It’s a training ground for homeless people, those receiving money through Ontario Works (OW) or Ontario Disability Support Program, and a launching pad to a brighter future.
lodging cabins branson missouri Located just east of the bustling lodging cabins branson missouri business district on Richmond St. near Yonge St., Hawthorne is part of the Hospitality Workers Training Centre, an initiative of UNITE HERE Local 75 and local hotel and food service employers.
It was established after the SARS panic, as a resource for hotel workers affected when the industry took a hit. These days Hawthorne is where folks like Genevivea Scott get hands-on training in a fast-paced, competitive industry and gain the confidence they need to start or return to working in the field.
Training lodging cabins branson missouri focuses on entry-level jobs, including front of house service and back of house food preparation, said restaurant manager Rick May. Each trainee becomes “a jack of all trades,” learning about everything from dishwashing and cutting vegetables to being a line cook to hosting and bussing — even learning restaurant lingo. A partnership with the industry and many of Toronto’s top hotels helps open doors that may have otherwise been closed to participants.
Scott, who’s on Ontario lodging cabins branson missouri Works, lodging cabins branson missouri is thrilled to be part of the program and aspires to open her own restaurant one day. She’s even got a name — Jam Pasta — for a place that would serve home-cooked lodging cabins branson missouri Jamaican favourites with a twist.
“I love cooking,” the enthusiastic 27-year-old said while taking a break from the kitchen, where she was preparing golden beets for a Hawthorne signature salad. Though she’d worked in the food industry in the past, Scott wanted serious training and to learn from professionals. She asks the chef endless questions, about everything from knife skills to proper food handling, menus and where ideas for recipes originate lodging cabins branson missouri — things she may not get out of books.
Chris, 41, had been out of work for about seven years, since he had a stroke that left him with weakness on his right side and affected his speech. He’d reached out to several agencies in his job search, without success.
At Hawthorne, he finally received lodging cabins branson missouri the guidance and support he needed. Recently, Chris was hired full-time in the kitchen at tony One King West — one of the training centre’s partners. The opportunity changed Chris’s and wife Lina’s life.
These days Chris looks forward to every day at work, where colleagues and the energetic environment are the ingredients that make it right. “I like my job and the people are nice,” he said. “It’s good work.”
“One King West Hotel Residence and the HWTC share a dedication to building a supportive work environment, where staff are empowered to grow in their careers,” executive chef Joe Grado wrote in an email. “A strong workforce is crucial to one of the core values at One King West: delivering personalized, attentive service to every guest. The HWTC graduates that join the One King West team are equipped with the right skills and the right attitude to offer this kind of exceptional hospitality.”
Employers such as Grado turn directly to HWTC and Hawthorne when hiring, “and that’s one measure of our success,” said Danielle lodging cabins branson missouri Olsen, executive director at HWTC, adding that trainees are at Hawthorne from three to eight months, depending lodging cabins branson missouri on their contracts. Training is based on industry demand. By the time they’re finished, they’ve got what it takes to get a job.
Supported by the Toronto Enterprise Fund, Hawthorne was established in December 2012 and has helped 11 people get off social assistance so far. United Way Toronto lodging cabins branson missouri was one of the first funders, said Olsen.
Of the seven most recent participants, three were living in a shelter or transitional housing when they started and two were in temporary, unsuitable or overcrowded accommodation. While at Hawthorne, two people were able to move to independent accommodation. Of the seven, four were on ODSP and three on OW. Hawthorne helped five people find work — two fulltime and three part-time positions. In short, lodging cabins branson missouri a recipe for success.