A cafe in Washington, D.C. is proving that a kitchen can be a classroom and a launchpad at once. Emma’s Torch trains refugees, exiles and survivors of human trafficking through an 11-week culinary program that runs 40 hours a week, mixing timed kitchen drills like julienne cutting chicken with English classes, resume writing and interview preparation.
The results are the story. Founder Kerry Brodie says 500 students have graduated from the program, and 90% of them have found jobs. For graduate Nico, who came to the United States with his two children, the experience was nothing less than a second chance at a new life.
The organization’s name traces back to Emma Lazarus, whose poem is inscribed on the Statue of Liberty. Here on the Suncoast, where our hospitality economy depends on skilled hands and fresh starts, that connection feels close to home. Could a program like this work in Sarasota or Bradenton? Let us know on our social pages. Have you ever gotten a second chance through a job? We’d love to hear your story.
