Place 1,200 homeless and disadvantaged individuals on a proven path to self-sufficiency with Focusing Philanthropy and Catalyst Kitchens
Place 1,200 homeless and disadvantaged individuals on a proven path to self-sufficiency with Focusing Philanthropy and Catalyst Kitchens
As always, Focusing Philanthropy covers all overhead costs. 100% of every donation will go to the 2019 Community Transformation Initiative.
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THE NEED
Today, more than 1 in 7 Americans lives in poverty and 5.8 million are unemployed or underemployed. Extreme poverty, homelessness, and joblessness impact every American community.
To address these challenges, most cities have soup kitchens and food banks. These admirable organizations meet a pressing need – they help people survive. They do not help people move out of homelessness and poverty.
THE GOAL
Focusing Philanthropy and Catalyst Kitchens by FareStart are partnering on a $300,000 campaign to place at least 1,200 homeless or disadvantaged individuals facing barriers to employment on a pathway out of poverty and toward self-sufficiency.
The FareStart model brings together life skills and on-the-job culinary training, self-generating revenues to sustain mission-based work, and quality foodservice to the greater community. Operating in the greater Seattle area since 1992, FareStart has provided opportunities for over 8,000 people to achieve lasting employment in the foodservice industry and has delivered over ten million nutritious meals to low income adults and children.
In 2011, FareStart launched a national program offering expert consulting and ongoing support to foodservice social enterprises across the country. To date, Catalyst Kitchens has launched 56 programs and scaled 32.
Our 2019 campaign will help Catalyst Kitchens expand its reach and achieve its 2020 Vision of placing 3,500 individuals in jobs annually. Funds will be used to invest in the research, planning, incubation, launch and scaling of programs based on FareStart’s successful model for breaking the cycle of homelessness and joblessness.
THE GIVING MATCH
From April 1 to October 31, 2019, every $1 raised by Focusing Philanthropy will be matched with $1 raised by Catalyst Kitchens, until the campaign goal of $300,000 is reached.
To qualify for the match, donations must be directed to Focusing Philanthropy and a minimum of $1,000. Donations are fully tax deductible and 100% of funds contributed will go to the Community Transformation Initiative. All Focusing Philanthropy costs are covered by its founders.