By Jacqueline Gilvard Landry
Voice correspondent

Graduates of the Kitchen of Champions culinary program for homeless and low-income adults in Alameda County have mastered a new kind of entrée — an entrée into the corporate world of food service.

Larry Young, a graduate of St. Vincent de Paul’s culinary training program, prepares food in the kitchen of the cathedral conference center. He is one of 12 Kitchen of Champions graduates now working for Levy Restaurants at the cathedral. GREG TARCZYNSKI PHOTO

Levy Restaurants, a national company providing food service for the conference center and café at the Cathedral of Christ the Light, last fall hired 13 graduates of St. Vincent de Paul Society of Alameda County’s culinary course as part-time line cooks, catering attendants and café cashiers.

With the busy banquet season behind them, the graduate chefs are “doing great,” said Bob Williamson, Levy’s director of operations for the cathedral. “Everyone is still here and motivated,” Williamson said, with only one exception—a person who landed a full-time job.

One of the new line cooks is Oscar Phillips. Last June, Phillips was graduating from Kitchen of Champions, a 12-week course at SVdP’s kitchen in Oakland teaching culinary skills to disadvantaged adults and helping them find jobs in the food service industry.

Now he and his peers are being paid to put their training into practice. “Their training is important in all aspects of food prep, sanitation . . . and presentation,” Williamson said.

“All aspects” sums up the experience for Phillips, who said he has “done everything from prepping meals to washing dishes . . . Whatever it takes to get the event on board from start to finish, that’s what I do,” he said.

The same goes for Renae Thompson, a new line cook at the cathedral and graduate of the inaugural Kitchen class in December 2007. Thompson said he has “prepped, baked, fried,” set up tables, carved meat in the buffet line—“anything the chef told me to do.”

Phillips said he enjoys the variety. “When we have a catering event, it’s satisfying to see the event go from when we break open the boxes to when the last piece of the product is served and the clients are happy,” he said.

Williamson said he learned about the training program after happening upon a flyer for the Kitchen of Champions’ wine dinner at the time he was hiring for the cathedral.

That inspired an October hiring event, where around 50 Kitchen graduates submitted resumes and interviewed for 13 of the 31 current jobs at the cathedral, he said. Williamson said he hired based on work experience and performance in the program.

The graduates “truly appreciate the opportunity, would like more hours and pay, but understand we’re growing and more will follow,” Williamson said.

The wage is above the minimum wage, he said, but hours have been limited as the cathedral venue, open since early last fall, tries to lure more catering business.
The pay might not add up yet, but just being on the payroll looks good to potential employers—inside and outside Levy’s organization, Williamson indicated.

“(Graduates) will be able to say they are currently employed with Levy. This should at least get them an interview at another Levy property,” Williamson said.

Levy Restaurants is a leading food service provider with 15,000 employees at 90 sports and entertainment venues in North America. Those properties include the Oracle Arena in Oakland and Infineon Raceway in Sonoma.

Phillips puts a premium on the resume-enhancing opportunity, saying he would like to work his way up in the Chicago-based Levy. “My goal is to prove my worth,” he said.
In contrast, the 61-year-old Thompson is precluded from full-time work by his asthma and said he is “pretty satisfied with the temporary situation.”

Thompson said the Levy job allows him to work in the culinary field, but, “If I’m not available (to work), it doesn’t hurt me.”

Williamson said he has had “only positive experiences” with the grads and plans to continue hiring from K of C.

That’s good news for SVdP’s Executive Director Philip Arca. “It gives us a sense of hope that there really is a connection in the business community around our work, (which) can help us change people’s lives,” he said during an address at the November Kitchen of Champions graduation.

Williamson’s philosophy seems simpatico. “A motivational speaker I heard once reminded that ultimately in the food service business, we are not a test kitchen, we are a cash register,” he said.

“I believe, however, that while we are here to be profitable, we also need to be responsible citizens,” he said. “Giving the grads an opportunity allowed us to be personally responsible and financially profitable.”

That responsibility extends to any Kitchen graduate, even those who are not on his payroll, Williamson said. “We’d make time to review resumes, etc.,” he said. “Sometimes extra eyes and opinions help. It’s an unofficial mentoring opportunity.”
Is the Levy relationship a sign that things will continue to cook for the Kitchen of Champions program? “It’s been over a year and we’re still going. . . . It’s really great,” said Michael Stamm, the program’s executive chef, at the November graduation.

Phillips, who holds another job working for Stamm as a weekend cook for the St. Vincent de Paul Dining Room, agreed. “I think it is a great marriage between Levy and Saint Vincent de Paul in promoting the Kitchen of Champions and giving the students an opportunity to further their skills and their desire to work in the kitchen,” he said.

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