NECAT 2022 Annual Report

A Letter from Our Leadership

Dear Friends,

In 2022, NECAT focused on nourishing change for all who we serve. As we gradually recovered from the pandemic to face the realities of a food services industry in flux, NECAT took full advantage of emerging opportunities to best meet the needs of our participants. The result: 2022 has been an exceptional year with an infusion of funder support for new and existing programming. Several exciting initiatives have taken shape to ensure NECAT’s effectiveness as a job training program that nurtures our students, alumni, employers, and staff.

Funded by a prestigious fellowship from the Boston Foundation, a redesign of Career Services became reality. We expanded our space to include a dedicated Career Center whose staff directly involves employers, counselors, community partners, and graduates to be in dialogue with each other. While we’re just getting started, the results are impressive: graduates and employers are better understanding each other’s potential.

While Spanish-speaking workers are both the fastest growing worker population and the backbone of kitchens in Boston, professional culinary training is hard to come by for non-English speakers. Our new program in East Boston, taught entirely in Spanish, levels the playing field and proves we can break down barriers to provide equal opportunity for all. And as we continue our efforts with the re-entry community, these specialty programs guide marginalized groups to reap the economic benefits of Boston’s thriving hospitality industry.

Partner is the defining role of NECAT as relationship building is central to our mission. We’re here for our students every step of their journey: each phase of our training guides students to move forward on their life’s path. NECAT’s growing network of outside collaborators is extensive, from the hospitality industry, social service organizations, city and state agencies, and other nonprofits. This enables us to provide vital resources to our participants and alumni who rely on NECAT for much more than culinary training.

In addition to providing professional job skills and wellness programming, our strong partnerships directly address the three most critical challenges that many of our students face – housing insecurity, substance use disorders, and the challenges of returning to society after incarceration.

As we look forward to celebrating our 10th anniversary in October 2023, we’ll echo the words of NECAT’s inspirational mentor Bill Strickland: “We make the impossible possible.”

This Annual Report is dedicated to our participants, supporters, funders, and partners with gratitude and optimism as NECAT continues to nourish change that best meets the needs of all who rely on us.

Sincerely,

Maarten Hemsley Founder and President

Josephine Cuzzi Executive Director

Partnerships, Enhanced Curriculum, Events, and New Opportunities

We are extremely proud of the 137 students who graduated from our program at three different locations in 2022. We made the decision to extend our holistic culinary arts job training program to fourteen weeks to provide more time for hands-on work in the kitchen and soft-skills development. NECAT has cultivated new partnerships that add value to our program and connect us with the community on a deeper level. The combination of our enhanced training and the relationships we’ve built are helping to propel our graduates to success.

NECAT Boston: Seven cohorts graduated in 2022. After a long hiatus due to COVID, we were able to welcome back family and friends to watch their loved ones receive their certificates. Capstone events were reintroduced allowing our students to showcase their signature dishes at a tapas-style luncheon. NECAT also launched a visiting chef series for our students to learn from culinary experts. We were grateful to host Chef Jody Adams, a famous American chef and restaurateur and James Beard award-winning chef, along with Suzanne Husseini, a cookbook author and host of a popular Arabic cooking show.

NECAT East Boston: NECAT helped eliminate language as a barrier to employment by offering our training program in Spanish at the East Boston YMCA. The program was taught by a bilingual chef who is a NECAT graduate, and students received on-site support and career counseling from NECAT staff. Two cohorts graduated and seventeen students launched their culinary careers. Based on the success of the pilot program, NECAT and the YMCA will expand this partnership in 2023.

NECAT Behind the Walls – Suffolk County House of Correction (SCHC) and Re-Entry: NECAT’s Behind the Walls training program at SCHC graduated three cohorts, a total of twenty-four students, and helped ease the transition for returning citizens through career counseling and job placement. NECAT’s chef instructors provided our full culinary program, including a capstone project and graduation, to students at SCHC. Once released from incarceration, graduates receive a stipend and meet with our staff to ensure the support they need to start and to sustain their culinary career.

NECAT SEL & Wellness: We redefined the way we look at wellness by expanding our social-emotional learning curriculum. Lessons incorporate language that is sensitive to the impact of individual and systemic trauma. Our new program includes mindfulness techniques for stress management and anxiety reduction, including daily breathing and meditation exercises. We received funding from the Wayfarer Foundation to build on this wellness programming with activities like journaling, trauma-informed yoga, and functional strength training.

NECAT Career Readiness: With the support of two primary funders, we were able to launch our Career and Engagement Center for students and alumni. Two newly hired staff members now work directly with students on résumé writing, mock interviewing, computer skills, finance workshops, networking, and ultimately, securing a rewarding job and staying employed. We have also made great strides in improving our Employer Partner program by working with a wider variety of employers (healthcare, education, hospitality, and senior living) that accept CORIs, pay higher salaries, offer bench tests and paid stages with opportunities to receive benefits and, in some cases, to join a union. A game changer for many!

NECAT Beyond the Classroom: As the constraints of the pandemic lifted, we opened our doors to NECAT supporters. We held the first class in our Fresh Cooking Series—Mediterranean Mezze—which sold out. NECAT hosted corporate events for our valued partners, The Boston Foundation/Skillworks and RIZE, and reinstated our annual gala with the introduction of the Bounty & Bliss Gala. A soireé of 130 supporters enjoyed coastal New England cuisine prepared by guest chefs Jeremy Sewall (Row34) and David Punch (Sycamore). Proceeds from the event are helping us to purchase a van to expand our catering and special events business. NECAT continues to provide weekly catering services to More Than Words and Roxbury Municipal Court. NECAT is now open for rental, private parties, and special events.

BOSTON

BEHIND THE WALLS

NECAT Partnerships: Justice 4 Housing is now sharing space with our Career and Engagement Center. Justice 4 Housing is a nonprofit focused on eliminating discriminatory practices in the local housing market for adults with criminal records and/or no track record in sustaining long-term housing. Our shared space makes it easy for NECAT students who are returning citizens to meet with Justice 4 Housing staff to apply for permanent housing.

NECAT’s emerging partnership with Tech Goes Home has been extremely beneficial for our cohorts. Students receive computer skills training, a free laptop, mouse, headset, and internet services for one year. This partnership helps our students to bridge the digital divide to gain access to technology that is essential for a successful career path.

NECAT’s partnership with Boston Lesbigay Urban Foundation connected us with the Boston Public Library in Roxbury. The library agreed to hire students/grads to provide workshops and cooking demonstrations on low-cost, nutritional meals. This program connects us to the community while providing a platform for students to showcase their skills and receive compensation.

Employer Testimonial

“We are now working with NECAT to provide week-long paid stages for students to gain valuable work experience in our kitchens while they complete their NECAT training. Our chefs work alongside the students for a week as mentors. The goal is to develop talent, provide real commercial kitchen experience, and share feedback with NECAT to help enhance the curriculum. We’re thrilled that our first two student participants were offered jobs and have joined the Highgate team.”

–Tim Kirkpatrick, Regional Human Resources Director, Boston Park Plaza & Highgate

Kayan McKenzie and Tim Kirkpatrick, Boston Park Plaza

Changing Lives Student Stories

Quandré – Cohort 51

Quandré was finishing a six-year sentence when a NECAT flyer was slipped under his door. Was this a sign? Quandré had always enjoyed cooking and working as a waiter, cook, and barista in the past. For now, he was working in the prison kitchen preparing meals for people with dietary restrictions. As a diabetic with dietary restrictions, he personally valued healthy eating and meal prep.

When Quandré was transferred to the Boston Pre-Release Center, he came to NECAT for a tour and an orientation the next day. “Honestly, I had no expectations. I just wanted to learn how to cook more highend food, but NECAT offered so much more,” he says. “Everyone is so friendly; it was just nice.”

He appreciated his chef instructors, particularly their willingness to break down recipes and techniques so that everyone understood. Quandrés talents began to shine at the program, and he was soon arriving early for breakfast club, volunteering at community events, and mastering his culinary skills in the kitchen. “NECAT helps to better yourself and care for your mental health, which is so important,” added Quandré.

Quandré had served time before and hadn’t felt ready for work and a career when he’d been released. “When I was younger, I felt more comfortable being back inside,” he says. “Now I’m ready. NECAT helped me re-integrate into society. I’m comfortable being out and ready to move on. This is where I belong.” His hard work and kindness to others was noticed at NECAT: he was awarded the coveted Student Leadership Award.

Quandré has been released and hopes to apply to college. He started working at Kelly’s Roast Beef during his second week at NECAT and has already moved up in the kitchen. He’d like to launch his own business someday, already envisioning the next chapter in his story.

Barriers to Employment

33% Court-involved background

Niurka – Cohort 52

When Niurka arrived at NECAT she was in transitional housing, recovering emotionally from an abusive relationship, and unemployed for many years. She saw NECAT as an opportunity for growth that gave her a sense of fulfillment and pride to come to school every day. “I came in early everyday to volunteer for breakfast club and earned multiple pins on my chef hat for positively contributing. Every day, I showed up for myself and began to feel better about life,” Niurka says. Since graduating, Niurka now works as a line cook at The Newbury Boston, earning almost $24 per hour with the opportunity for full benefits as a member of the Local 26. A NECAT Student Leadership Award recipient and bilingual in Spanish, she gladly accepted the challenge to become a Chef Instructor when the opportunity became available at NECAT’s Spanish speaking training program in East Boston. Niurka now works two jobs and says, “NECAT provided so many incredible opportunities and prepared me to truly shine in a commercial kitchen setting. I’m immensely grateful.”

Alex – Cohort 52

Alex enrolled in NECAT’s program at Suffolk County House of Correction but was unable to complete the training, so he re-enrolled at the Boston center upon his release. Alex saw culinary training as a way to combine his entrepreneurial spirit with his commitment to healthy eating and meal preparation. As a recent NECAT graduate, Alex honed his culinary skills and is now cooking at the TD Garden 1928 Club earning $20 per hour. He prepares healthy meals and salads, the type of food he would like to offer to his own customers someday. “Before I came to NECAT, I felt like my life was falling apart. NECAT gave me a routine and set me up so that I have a normal life and financial stability. NECAT changed my life for the better.”

23% Experiencing homelessness or in transitional housing 96% No education beyond a GED

BOARD MEMBER SPOTLIGHT:

Dana Gonsal –Senior Pastor, First Baptist Church Dorchester

Reverend Dana Gonsal has served on the NECAT Board for more than two years. His professional experience in prison ministry and personal experience with homelessness provide a unique insight into the issues many NECAT students grapple with. He is a passionate advocate for NECAT in the community, encouraging his clients to explore the opportunities NECAT offers. “NECAT is a place where a person can start all over again if they want a new beginning,” says Gonsal.

During the NECAT Father’s Day “Pies for Guys” fundraiser, Gonsal purchased $800 worth of pies. When the pies were ready for delivery, he requested that they be distributed to local shelters and recovery homes. As the Reverend says, “No act of kindness is ever wasted, no matter how big or how small.”

2022 Board of Directors

Courtney Brooke Bell – Director of Healthcare Operations, Boston Healthcare for the Homeless

Rick Catino, Treasurer – CEO, Clearpoint Partners LLC

Sasha Coleman, 2017 NECAT Graduate – Food Stylist and Freelance Chef

Jennifer Corcoran – Project Director, Joseph J. Corcoran Company

Emerson Foster – SVP, Head of Human Resources, Takeda Pharmaceuticals

Shawn Goldrick – Vice President, Patient Support Services, Boston Children’s Hospital

Dana Gonsal – Senior Pastor, First Baptist Church Dorchester

Maarten Hemsley, Board Chair –Founder & President, NECAT

Rebecca Hemsley – Director of Marketing & Advertising, South Costal Almanac, LLC

Andy Henke – SVP of Strategy, Wells Fargo

T. Nicolas John – Deputy Director, Massachusetts Farm Bureau

Joanne Massaro – Retired Public Works Commissioner, City of Boston

Michael Rothschild – Principal, Abbott Investments

Dan Scully – Principal, Scully Strategic Services, LLC

Elle Simone Scott – Executive Editor/ Inclusion Leader, and On-Screen Test Cook, America’s Test Kitchen

Yolanda Smith – Executive Director of Public Safety, Tufts University

William (Bill) Strickland, Honorary Member – Founder & CEO, Manchester Bidwell

NECAT Student Demographics

57% Receive public benefits

16% Born outside the U.S.

66% Male, 52% Living in Dorchester, Roxbury or Hyde Park with another 17% living in other Boston neighborhoods, temporary shelters, or currently incarcerated.

34% Female

100% Considered low-income according to HUD guidelines

64% Black/African American

16% Latinx

10% White

8% Multi-racial

2% Asian

Our Mission: NECAT empowers adults facing barriers to employment through training in culinary skills, social-emotional development and career-readiness for success and long-term financial stability.

NECAT 2022 Financials

2022 REVENUE 2022 EXPENSES

53% Foundations and Individual Donors

22% Government Grants

19% Program Fees

6% Facility Rentals and Other

51% Salaries and Related

25% Facilities and Equipment

11% Program Expenses

6% Contract Expenses

7% Other Expenses

FUNDER SPOTLIGHT: Life Science Cares

Life Science Cares Boston activates the financial and human capital of the life sciences industry and partners with nonprofits to disrupt the cycle of poverty and inequality in our communities. We envision all of our neighbors having access to basic needs, access to education, and access to opportunity.

“Via their in-house programming and their culinary training within the Suffolk County House of Corrections, NECAT continues to develop innovative solutions in service of our neighbors in need. Their passionate team provides not only impressive job training, but also critical, holistic wraparound supports that ensure their students are able to thrive as people and professionals in new careers. Life Science Cares is proud to partner with NECAT in these impressive efforts.”

–Kelly M. Brawn, PhD, Head of Programs and Community Engagement, Life Science Cares Boston

Kelly Brawn (left) and Life Science Cares Boston team visit NECAT

Our Donors & Supporters Making

Major Donors $100K+

Anonymous Donor

The Boston FoundationSkillworks

Commonwealth Corporation

Commonwealth of Massachusetts

Cummings Foundation

Life Science Cares

Marten Family Foundation

Major Donors $50K+

More Than Words - Community Reinvestment Fund

The Rowland Foundation

Roy A Hunt Foundation State Street Foundation

Wayfarer Foundation

Wynn Resorts

Major Donors $20K+

Boston Children’s Hospital

M&T Charitable Foundation

Mifflin Memorial Fund

NIKE Inc. | Converse

Office of Workforce

Development - Community

Development Block Grant

Office of Workforce

Development - Neighborhood Jobs Trust

Donors $10K+

Joseph J. Corcoran Company LLC

Maarten & Mavis Hemsley

HMS Host Foundation

Charles & Jane Kusek

Carolyn Loiselle

National Grid Foundation

New England Revolution

Jacques Pépin Foundation

Santander Bank

Donors $5K+

Altec/Styslinger Foundation

Robert & Jeannette Baker

Belden & Pamela Daniels

Eastern Bank Charitable Foundation

Kraft Family & NE Patriots Foundation

Moses Kimball Memorial Fund

Donors $1K+

Andrew Barresi

Beacon Hill Circle For Charity

Paul and Edith Babson Foundation

Berkshire Bank Foundation

Courtney Brooke Bell

Cambridge Savings Bank

Rick & Tricia Catino

Cherbec Advancement Foundation

Edmond Choi

City Realty/CRM

Property Corporation

Richard Cohen

Joseph & Gayle Corcoran

Josephine & Stephen Cuzzi

Josh Fetterman

Larry Finman

First Baptist Church in Dorchester

Rebecca Hemsley

Lisa Hillenbrand

Mary Horst

Melissa Kemp

Karl & Joann Kunz

Lewis & Lucinda Marten

Arthur & Joanne Massaro

Lynne Massicott

Richard McManus

James Rosenfeld & Sharon Nolan

Northeastern University

Ron & Sharon Nunes

Erin Higgins & Douglas Rosner

Tina Aronson & Koby Rotstein

The Sarkis Team Boston

Bill Sheehan

Keith Schultz

David & Sharon Steadman

Benjamin & Kate Taylor

Jane & Michael Traub

Frederick E. Weber Charities

Corporation

The Williams Agency Supporters

Altman Nussbaum

Trial Attorneys

Richard Anders

Carol S. Ball

David & Kathleen Bryson

Virginia Buckingham

Ellen Carno

Joan Christel

Jennifer Corcoran

Linda Coto

Kevin Davis

Christopher Decker

Roberta Ellis

Susan Forest

Mary Furlong

Nicole Gakidis

Lindsey Gaudet

Reverend Dana Gonsal

Deborah Hansen

Philomena Hare

Niki Heavern

Ann Helwege

Robert Hubbard

Brian Huber

Jeff Huebschmann

T. Nicolas John

Edward & Marcia Katz

Diane & Fred L’Ecuyer

Andrea Loew

Daniel & Eleanor McGonagle

Sean McReynolds

Barbara & Bob Mello

Kimberly Molino

Kim Tuyet Nguyen

Judith Paprin

Bill Mateik & Marie Piraino

Linda Queripel

Michael Rothschild

Daniel Scully

Martha Shaffer

Nathaniel Stillman

Rui Vieira

Lucinda and Lewis Marten, Marten Family Foundation with NECAT Founder, Maarten Hemsley