Story by Nina Hartman, Photos by Sierra Hartman
As House Elf for Grit City Magazine, a LOT of emails about our city’s happenings come to my inbox, and one gem had me grinning as I called across the office, “Hey! You guys know The Table that just closed? That chef is going to the Rescue Mission to teach culinary job skills,” which was met with lots of other grins and “Oh nice!”s.
The Table was a delicious and wholesome farm-to-table restaurant that opened in 2015 on 6th Ave and closed this past summer. The price point made it a special occasion dining experience, at least for me. Discovering a connection between The Table and Tacoma Rescue Mission tickled me, as most people might not imagine there’d be one.
Derek Bray (2024 James Beard Award-nominated chef and owner of The Table) and Myron Bernard (Deputy Director) at Tacoma Rescue Mission invited us for a visit. This isn’t sponsored content—I just like this story. These answers are edited for length.
Derek’s Q&A:
The blurb in the press release said you’re rejoining TRM—you served alongside the culinary team a decade ago—what was it like when you were there before? When I was at The Mission in 2012 our team was a lot smaller than it is now. Andrew McGruder (our Food Service Manager) and I were two of three full time staff in the kitchen along with a few high impact volunteers. Besides that, the kitchen at our downtown campus has gone through a major renovation and Tacoma Rescue Mission over all has been expanding its impact in the community.
What sort of skills will you be teaching in the new program? A lot of what we’ll be focusing on will be transferable skills to ready students for any job. Many individuals experiencing homelessness face unique barriers to finding and sustaining a job and we really want to equip people with both culinary skills and general job/people skills. My biggest hope for the program is that we can help a person find their place, unlock a sense of belonging, a love of food and service.
When will it begin? Our perspective first cohort will launch Fall of 2025
Do you think the food service industry in Tacoma has openings that would provide enough income for someone to transition out of homelessness? (I’m not being snarky here—genuine curiosity, not having worked in a kitchen before myself.)
Not to worry. And yes we do. A large part of our planning is geared toward building relationships with local businesses to create a network of support for our students where we can connect them with jobs and continue their growth. There is always a need for well trained folks that can cook with love!
How many people do you envision coming through the culinary program at a time? First Cohort 3-5 individuals, building up to 6-10 students at a time, with the program lasting 16-18 weeks and approx 400 training hours.
Derek on program design: “Part of it is the intrinsic training of the heart and the effort. The flavor and love doesn’t have to change (when you scale up to serve a lot of people at once), and that will be one of the intangibles that will be a pillar of our training when it comes to the actual food part of it. Food is a way I’ve always felt you can show care and your love for individuals. The difference between good food and great food is not just technique- it’s really the effort and care you put into it. We want people to come away with an appreciation for food, the knowledge of the stepping stones to creating good food. We want job transferability… confidence in entering a kitchen, understanding food quality and preparation, and the heart of it.”
Myron’s Q&A:
I heard local businesses can partner with TRM to provide work experience—are there any fields you would like to connect with more? We’d love to connect with organizations or businesses that can offer training, internships or apprenticeships in vocations or technical trades. Please contact us at info@trm.org.
Is there anything you’d like potential employers to know about the clients leaving TRM? We have a retail thrift operation (MissionThriftTacoma.org) that generates revenue for TRM. When we launched this store, it wasn’t our primary goal to hire people coming from our recovery program. In the years since, our staff who graduated from the recovery program have been some of our best hires. They show up on time, work hard, and have a great attitude. They know how valuable a job is and consistently show gratitude for a great employer. Sometimes we all need a second chance. And sometimes those who have journeyed a harder road are the most grateful for that opportunity.
Extra bits: Tacoma Rescue Mission’s efforts to remove barriers to housing and employment include the New Life addiction recovery program, and partnering with Farestart to utilize their training curriculum as the program launches here. There is also an in-house Career Development Center where anyone in the community can find resources and opportunities for internships, education, and additional job skills—not just shelter guests. TRM also partners with Valeo Vocations and Goodwill.
How To Help TRM: Volunteer, donate, and spread the word. There are oodles of volunteer opportunities for people as young as 8. Right now they’re specifically accepting food drive items (accepted 6am-6pm at 425 South Tacoma Way): whole turkey, ham, bulk sausage, syrup, and single serving cereals. Check their website to learn more.
