Maryland Food Bank, Inc.

The FoodWorks Program offers a fresh start to low-income individuals with 12 weeks of intense culinary training. FoodWorks students learn basic cooking skills while converting fresh produce and other perishable foods into healthy meals for distribution to those in need.  This includes basic cooking techniques, discipline in the workplace, and professionalism. Students also receive ServSafe® certification and job placement. While most of the students in the program participate to develop a career, every minute of their training in the kitchen goes towards preparing meals for hungry Marylanders. By the end of a training session, a FoodWorks class will have cooked approximately 50,000 meals on average. These meals are then distributed through our online menu to network partners. With guidance and support from program staff, FoodWorks graduates have been hired at some of the region’s leading venues in the hotel and restaurant industry. The Maryland Food Bank has also proudly hired some of its very own FoodWorks graduates to act as mentors for the FoodWorks program and help produce meals in the kitchen.