INDIANAPOLIS – Dec. 6, 2022 – The Regions Foundation, a nonprofit organization primarily funded by Regions Bank, on Tuesday announced a $20,000 grant to Second Helpings, a nonprofit created to reduce food waste, feed people in need and provide culinary training for unemployed and underemployed people in Central Indiana.
The donation specifically benefits Second Helpings’ Culinary Job Training (CJT) Program, an initiative focused on eliminating barriers and empowering participants by teaching industry and life skills and providing wrap-around services. The CJT Program is a tuition-free course, with participants receiving classroom and hands-on training, uniforms, transportation, textbooks and additional assistance all at no cost. The nonprofit also provides job placement support following graduation.
“The demand for trained culinary professionals has soared in recent years,” said Marta Self, executive director of the Regions Foundation. “Skills-based initiatives like Second Helpings’ Culinary Job Training Program are teaching kitchen essentials, but they’re also doing something far bigger: they’re charting a clear path for successful and lasting careers.”
Culinary Job Training instructors Keith Brooks (left) and Kyle Burnett present Class 151 graduate Alaina Applewhite with a chef’s toque at graduation. Regions Bank market executive Erik Miner (lower right) delivered welcome remarks to the chefs and their guests.
On Nov. 18, six students graduated from Second Helpings’ Class 151, the first cohort following the nonprofit’s recently reimagined CJT Program. The restructured course focuses on strengthening the durable skills graduates take with them to any job, including time management, financial education, goal setting and more. Graduates also earn their ServSafe Certification during the course which provides the required industry protocols for food safety measures.
During the seven weeks of instruction the students visit a variety of commercial kitchens and participate in job shadowing days with local chefs.
“In this new model, we will be celebrating students at every step, from earning certifications, passing practical exams, and securing full-time employment,” said Second Helpings’ CEO Linda Broadfoot. “The new elements of the CJT program follow workplace trends we see across the economy, offering more rewards and engagement along the way.”
Thanks to this generous grant from our colleagues at the Regions Foundation, Second Helpings’ work in transforming careers and lives will make an impact for even more students.
Erik Miner, Commercial Banking leader and market executive for Regions Bank in Indianapolis
Regions Bank in Indianapolis has collaborated with Second Helpings on a variety of initiatives during the past 15 years. The bank has supported the nonprofit’s annual Souper Bowls and Tonic Ball fundraisers and it awarded Second Helpings $5,000 in 2017 as part of its “What a Difference a Day Makes” social media campaign. Bank associates have also personally donated thousands of pounds of pasta and rice for the organization’s Hunger Relief Kitchen during collection drives.
Since its 1998 founding by three chefs, Second Helpings has rescued more than 43 million pounds of food that would have otherwise gone into landfills. The organization works with 100-plus Central Indiana nonprofits to prepare and deliver thousands of nutritious meals for their clients five days a week. Second Helpings’ CJT Program has graduated more than 975 students.
“Second Helpings has been an innovative leader in advancing hunger relief efforts throughout Central Indiana for more than two decades,” said Erik Miner, Commercial Banking leader and market executive for Regions Bank in Indianapolis. “The CJT Program’s evolution reflects the same ground-breaking approach by providing future chefs and restaurant professionals with the training and tools to succeed. Thanks to this generous grant from our colleagues at the Regions Foundation, Second Helpings’ work in transforming careers and lives will make an impact for even more students.”
WRTV anchor and reporter Raphael Sanchez (front) captured a selfie with Class 151 graduates and Second Helpings’ Culinary Job Training team following graduation.
About Regions Foundation
The Alabama-based Regions Foundation supports community investments that positively impact communities served by Regions Bank. The Foundation engages in a grantmaking program focused on priorities including economic and community development; education and workforce readiness; and financial wellness. The Foundation is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) corporation funded primarily through contributions from Regions Bank.
About Regions Financial Corporation
Regions Financial Corporation (NYSE:RF), with $158 billion in assets, is a member of the S&P 500 Index and is one of the nation’s largest full-service providers of consumer and commercial banking, wealth management, and mortgage products and services. Regions serves customers across the South, Midwest and Texas, and through its subsidiary, Regions Bank, operates approximately 1,300 banking offices and more than 2,000 ATMs. Regions Bank is an Equal Housing Lender and Member FDIC. Additional information about Regions and its full line of products and services can be found at www.regions.com.
About Second Helpings
At Second Helpings, we’re helping transform lives through the power of food. By accepting donated perishable and overstocked food, we prepare nutritious meals for thousands of hungry children and adults every day and distribute them free of charge through social service agencies in Greater Indianapolis. For more information, visit www.secondhelpings.org.