A recipe for success: Culinary training launches at the Hilda L. Solis Care First Village

Weingart Center joined L.A. County’s Department of Economic Opportunity, Supervisor Hilda L. Solis, and Homeboy Industries to launch a new culinary training program for residents of the Hilda L. Solis Care First Village, one of our interim housing developments.

The training program is designed for individuals living in interim housing who have been impacted by homelessness and the justice system. It offers a meaningful next step on the path to stability and self-sufficiency. 

Over nine weeks, participants receive hands-on training from Homeboy’s culinary team —learning food preparation, kitchen safety, and earning a ServSafe Food Handler Certification. 

In addition to culinary instruction, each trainee receives career coaching, transportation and training stipends, and access to long-term employment pathways through L.A. County’s workforce network. 

For participants, food is more than nourishment. It’s also a pathway to independence, offering skills that prepare them for long-term success. 

 This initiative, part of the Care First Community Investment strategy, reflects a shared commitment to second chances. By investing in people impacted by homelessness and incarceration, this program is creating real opportunities and brighter futures. 

Employment also provides a key part of helping people break the cycle of homelessness, which Weingart Center works every day to do. 

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