Youthworks Social Justice Kitchen

Local Hero: Nonprofit

An Interview with Rachel Moore, Workforce Development Director, and Jackie Gibbs, YouthWorks Social Justice Kitchen Director

For youth who have had doors closed and are motivated to start something new, YouthWorks Social Justice Kitchen provides mentorship and opportunity. In a certified commercial kitchen that employs and trains young people for the workforce, participants prepare and deliver homemade daily meals to children, youth, and other in-need community members.
The kitchen also prepares meals for school food service and summer meals programs, runs a food truck, provides off-site event catering, and operates an events café. The varied culinary and hospitality outlets provide program participants multiple opportunities to gain paid job training and experience in a safe, controlled, and nurturing environment.

What is the backstory? How did the Social Justice Kitchen come to be?

We started by needing to provide meals for our own youth. At first we started by employing just a couple of interested youth to cook and we made family-style trays, served on paper plates—enchiladas, lasagna, mac ’n’ cheese, french bread pizza. Soon after, we found grant funding to buy a small food truck, and moved it to work sites to feed our own youth in YouthWorks paid training crews, and the community started to take notice. We began to expand our operation with skilled mentors and talented local chefs training youth in the kitchen, and started a catering operation supported by a youth kitchen crew who gained certifications and college credits. Now the kitchen trains dozens of youth and provides thousands of meals for the Santa Fe community every year.

How has the Social Justice Kitchen evolved over the years? Is there a facet of it now that you would have never anticipated when you began?

We have grown over the years from simply feeding our own paid youth crews to responding to the emergency need for meals during the COVID shutdown to providing over one million meals to our community in just two short years—and most recently, in spring 2022, collaborating with World Central Kitchen to prepare and deliver over seventy thousand meals for community members impacted by the fires in northern New Mexico. The amazing part has been to watch youth from the kitchen step up—especially early on in the pandemic. In spring 2020, our youth came to the kitchen every day to work together as a team to make sure those in emergency shelters in the city had a warm meal to eat. We have grown to become a resource in Santa Fe for free, prepared meals to any individual that is in need; this includes providing meals in homeless shelters and working with our local government to fill gaps in food security.

YouthWorks engages young people with work experiences that go beyond food, including building projects, farming, and environmental restoration projects. Is there anything about working with food in particular that you’ve found uniquely helpful for young people?

Jackie Gibbs: Yes, personally, being a graduate and participant in the YouthWorks program when I was in my teens, and now working as the director of the YouthWorks Social Justice Kitchen, I can say that growing and being part of the program has allowed me to gain many skills in the kitchen but also, more importantly, life skills that will always serve me. Youth graduate from the program knowing how to feed themselves and their families well and for little cost. Youth also step out of the culinary program knowing how to work as a team, how to get to work on time, and how to problem solve and adapt. These skills will serve these youth in any job they take on going forward.

What has been the most fulfilling part of working with the Social Justice Kitchen? What has been the most challenging part?

The most fulfilling part of working with the Social Justice Kitchen has been seeing young people grow and come out of their shells within the program. The kitchen provides young people a safe, supported place to work and gain skills and social connections while overcoming challenges in their own lives. We create space for youth to be themselves and to work through any issues they are navigating. In this nontraditional work environment, there can definitely be challenging days, but the kitchen crew is committed to the work and to each other, and it is uplifting to see how the crew members support each other in showing up even when things are hard.

What does a typical day at the kitchen look like?

We start every day by getting every young person ready for their job sites. We work on basic skills and a task list each day, sometimes breaking into groups and working on the order sheets. On a daily basis, we are doing emergency meals, catering, contract meals, and youth training crew meals.

How can interested edible readers contribute or become involved?

You can find more information and donate at santafeyouthworks.org or contact us at culinary@santafeyouthworks.org. We love having volunteers join us in the kitchen! Please email Rachel Moore at Rachel@santafeyouthworks.org to learn about our volunteer opportunities.

You can catch us and try delicious creations by the YouthWorks Social Justice Kitchen at the Santa Fe Farmers’ Del Sur Market every Tuesday from 3 pm to 6 pm, or at El Rancho de las Golondrinas café weekends until September 30.

We are available for catering business meetings and luncheons. We would love to host your next office lunch or group meeting. Contact Jackie Gibbs at culinary@santafeyouthworks.org for menus and prices.

Is there anything else you’d like to share with edible readers?

We at YouthWorks Social Justice Kitchen are honored to be recognized as a Local Hero and we are so proud of our youth and staff! Thank you to our beautiful community for your support!!
santafeyouthworks.org