Charlie Chapel moved to Indianapolis looking for a new start as a single mother. “My daughter is the reason why I get up and do what I have to do,” she told us.

Working as a waitress, she heard about Second Helpings’ Culinary Job Training (CJT) program and decided to turn her love of food into a new career path.

Charlie graduated from our Culinary Job Training program in 2013.

This free, 7-week program is offered for free for unemployed and underemployed adults in central Indiana. Each step in the program is designed to secure employment upon graduation. These skills extend beyond the kitchen, to provide a foundation for what it takes to be a great employee.

Charlie Chapel first enrolled with Class 71, but didn’t complete the program. The immersive program requires a lot of time and dedicated work, she found that other challenges in life got in the way.

Still, Charlie was focused on achieving this goal. “It was hard, but I was determined to finish for myself and my daughter.”

Charlie did just that, graduating with the following class (#72) in 2013. “When I graduated, I had such a sense of pride. I always tell people I’m a CJT graduate…If there’s one thing I’m proud of in my life since I moved here, it’s this.”

Your gift prepares more adults like Charlie for careers in the culinary industry, so they can be self-sufficient and support their families. A gift of any size makes a difference, whether it’s $25 to provide a student’s chef coat or $250 to provide a student’s uniform, knife kit, textbook, and other supplies.

“Second Helpings made me more aware of food insecurity and changed the way I look at cooking,” Charlie told us. “Food has such a large impact on society, and Second Helpings’ ability to rescue food and feed the hungry, as well as the Culinary Job Training program is huge. Everybody should know about Second Helpings.”

Charlie saw the impact of Second Helpings’ meals firsthand: her daughter received Second Helpings meals while at the after-school program at a Boys & Girls Club. “Food acts as a vehicle – it truly brings people together.”

Now working as a cook at a local elementary school, Charlie still credits her success to Second Helpings’ Culinary Job Training program.

Charlie (middle) with Chef Brady Foster and Second Helpings CEO Linda Broadfoot, was the first CJT graduate to win our annual Souper Bowls competition in 2024.

“Look at where I started, and where I am now…You’re not going to get a better program than Second Helpings. I know I’ve gotten opportunities and connections from being in CJT. I had a solid foundation so that when I went to Ivy Tech, I knew what I was doing. Everything fell seamlessly in place once I started here.”

The impact of our Culinary Job Training program reaches beyond our 1,000+ graduates, to their families and beyond.

Charlie taught her daughter the French culinary concept mise en place, which means “everything in its place.” In the kitchen, it refers to the practice of preparing and organizing all ingredients, tools, and equipment before starting to cook. “I taught my daughter to use that thinking for school: ‘what things do I need to put in place to make myself successful?’”

One student at a time, Second Helpings’ impact spreads throughout our community. With your help, we can support more Culinary Job Training students, provide more food for our partners, and prevent more waste in our community.

This season, your gift goes twice as far. The Heritage Group is matching all donations to Second Helpings, up to $50,000, through June 30. Thank you for your support to continue fighting hunger from all angles.