This might sound strange, but sometimes being uemployed can be a blessing in disguise. Certainly, I’m not talking about the financial struggle. No, I’m referring to how the lack of financial resources forces you to do some things differently in your life, often with surprising results.

I have been a big supporter of the United Way of Greater Cincinnati. My former employer was as well. So for the past several years, my support consisted of signing a form delegating how much money would be taken from my paycheck and donated. Now that certainly admirable, as the United Way will never turn down monetary donations. However, I should have been doing more.

My current unemployment status, obviously, took away the option of donating cash this go ’round. So I was forced to do things differently. I’m certainly glad I did.

Several days ago I volunteered to use my blogging skills (such as they are) for getting the word out about some of the lessor known programs that UWGC has a hand in. I had the privilege (and I do mean privilege) of touring the Cincinnati Cooks! facility. Cincinnati Cooks! is a program that is sponsored by the FreeStore Foodbank, which gets help from UWGC.

Their motto is “Feeding the Soul of the City”. That’s exactly what they do (although they feed your stomach pretty darn good as well; more on that in a later post). In fact, it’s the most important thing that they do.

Cincinnati Cooks! is a 10-week program that teaches those from low income households all facets of cooking and kitchen operation. Students are not only provided with skills in the kitchen, and a 16-hour “ServSafe” Certification, but most importantly, they are provided with life skills as well.

As our guide, Chef Jeff Pitts (more on him in a later post as well), told us, “those who are accepted to the program are told to be here on their first day at 8am sharp. If they get here at 8:03am, they are told to go home and come back again when the next group begins 5-weeks later.”

If that sounds harsh, it’s not. You ever watched an episode of Hell’s Kitchen? I’ve got friends in New York City who work in kitchens; it’s not that far off. You’re late; you’re out. End of story.

That type of “tough love” is working. The program has over a 70% retention rate of graduates who have gone on to get jobs in the food services industry and keep them. You can just imagine what other things in their lives have improved along with the steady paycheck and increased regiment. And those who graduate and move on often return to donate their time and skills, as their way of paying it forward. In fact, Chef Pitts is a graduate himself! And while I was there, a recent graduate returned to have lunch with students who were in the class after him to talk and encourage them about what lies ahead of them.

Probably the least known part about Cincinnati Cooks! is that the meals that the students cook as part of their training each day are the meals that feed 1,000 children per day in the Kids Cafe sites of Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky. From the moment the students enter the program, they are being taught how to give back, in addition to kitchen skills.

What Cincinnati Cooks! does is some of the most inspiring, yet unknown, work in town. There’s so much that I was affected by that day that I can’t fit in all in one blog. So I’ve decided to make several posts. Just think of it as my own personal investigative series.

Only I’m not looking to catch crooks!  Just donations and volunteers!

So for those of you who donate to UWGC and have always wanted to know, on a more intimate, personal level, what is being done with your money, this is your chance. Follow along with my posts about this program; then get out and volunteer your time at one of your choice.

You can find all the information you need to know at http://www.uwgc.org/ or you can just click the “Live United” button to your right. If there is any information I leave out (after I’m finished with this post series) about the FreeStore Foodbank or Cincinnati Cooks!, you can find out more about them at http://www.freestorefoodbank.org/ And if you just want to donate money and that’s all…well, UWGC will certainly accept that as well.

Just find a way to “feed your soul”.