Community Matters Café, part of the Charlotte Rescue Mission, opened in April with the goal of training recovering addicts for a career in hospitality. The restaurant is helmed by executive chef Nick Kepp, pastry chef Ashley Anna Tuttle, and general manager Jenny Villapando. Each class of students is split into groups, then rotate between working in the coffee shop, front of house, and kitchen.

The typical class will work in the restaurant for about 20 weeks. The first group ended up working longer, stretching their time to about six months, as the restaurant worked to get open.

“They did more than they were asked for, so they were the ones that laid sod and swept the building multiple times, moved furniture, took furniture out and put it back in for fire inspector purposes — they did stuff that no other class will ever do,” says Ed Price, director of life skills operations.

At the end, every single member of the class found a job in a local restaurant.

One gentleman is working at Del Frisco’s as a line cook, making $13.50 an hour. After graduating from training, he came back to Community Matters to visit. Price recalls the conversation they had.

“They said I would get paid on Friday — I’ve never gotten paid by direct deposit, ever,” the line cook told Price. “He said, ‘I woke up at 2 o’clock in the morning, I checked my bank account, and the money was there.’ He was like, ‘How’d the money get there? He couldn’t wrap his head around it.'”

Those kinds of conversations happen a lot at Community Matters, where many employees need help relearning or learning basic life skills before they can hold a steady job. During their first few weeks of employment, the new class of students goes through training on conflict resolution, people skills, and active listening. And before graduating, Rescue Mission staff helps them with any potential financial barriers, such as plans to pay off debt. One employee needed help paying off years of unfiled taxes.

As a graduation gift, employees are given $1,500 to help get them started in their new careers, with another $1,500 in $250 installments each month they return for a drug test and can show their pay stub.

Graduates either find jobs on their own or use relationships the Rescue Mission has built. Two are working at Ruth’s Chris in SouthPark, one as a server assistant, another doing prep and the dish pit. The hospitality manager there is a Charlotte Rescue Mission graduate. Others got jobs at 131 Main, Paco’s Tacos and Tequila, and Smoothie King, opening and closing the store.

All of the employees graduate with their ServSafe certification. If you’re interested in supporting Community Matters Café or hiring a graduate, you can find more information here. —Kristen Wile

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