Life's Kitchen transforms the lives of 16 to 20 year olds through training in the culinary arts, life skills and job placement in the food service industry. Life’s Kitchen supports its program with Custom Catering, a Lunch Cafe (open Wednesday through Friday) and from private donations and community grants.

Description:
Life’s Kitchen enrolls, serves, and graduates students from vulnerable conditions and ethnic backgrounds. Students must meet at-risk criteria in order to participate in the program: being low income, drug or alcohol addicted, a parent, no high school diploma, raised in a single household, have a developmental disability, mentally ill, or have a criminal record. Many students have been unsuccessful in the traditional school setting and endure significant personal challenges; however, with our help, they learn a vocation and gain self-confidence.

Over 100 Treasure Valley Youth have received service from Life’s Kitchen since it began in 2003. We have a 91% graduation rate. Additionally, 82% have pursued careers in the culinary arts, and making 26% above federal minimum wage. With four professional chefs on staff, and so many community professionals teaching life skills class, Life’s Kitchen students are no longer taking from the system, they are giving back to their community.

History:
Our organization was founded by a local restaurant owner who wanted to give back to the greater Boise community and help youth-at-risk learn job and life skills. After exhaustive research, she founded Life's Kitchen in August 2002, and we trained our first class of students in September 2003.

Contact person: Scott Addison, Executive Director, (208) 331-0199, (email)
Office fax number: (208) 331-0181

Address:

1025 South Capitol Boulevard Boise, ID 83706 (See a map)

Web Site: http://www.lifeskitchen.org