Quote“NBC News TODAY SHOW†features the Clara White Mission’s
Unique Culinary Arts Program for Homeless Clients
Jacksonville, Florida, Tuesday, May 25, 2010 â€" Once homeless themselves, culinary arts students at the Clara White Mission are being featured on “NBC News TODAYâ€, giving back by serving and preparing meals for the homeless through a vocational training program certified by the State of Florida’s Commission for Independent Education. The segment will air Thursday, May 27th during the 8:00 am hour, showcasing life changing testimonies in an institution that has a history of more than 106 years of service to the homeless and low-income in the Jacksonville community. As a follow-up, on Friday, May 28th during the 8:00 am broadcast, Ju’Coby Pittman-Peele, CEO/President of the Clara White Mission, will be interviewed live in New York, along with the representatives of four other non-profits that are impacting lives in their respective communities.
For the last 7 years, the Clara White Mission, once a soup kitchen, has operated as a one-stop community service center, offering vocational training and transitional housing, life skills training, mental health counseling, NA/AA programs and much more, to homeless and economically challenged individuals, prioritizing veterans and ex-offenders. According to Pittman-Peele, “many of our students come from very challenging circumstances; our goal at the Clara White Mission is to become a safety net by offering them opportunities through our combined life and vocational skills curriculum, and job placement services. Our training model is designed to make our graduates as employable as possible, as quickly as possibleâ€.
327 students have graduated from the program; 80% of all graduates were placed into employment within 60 days of graduation. Currently, 57% of those placements remain in the workforce. Through their earned wages, graduates have contributed nearly two million dollars to Jacksonville’s economy.
Call today, (904) 354-4162, or visit our website at www.clarawhitemission.org for additional information.
To few the clip:
http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/26184891/vp/37375268#37375268