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Branching Out Support Services preparing to launch CommonFare Kitchen

March 3, 2022   ·   0 Comments

By Sam Odrowski

An exciting new project is underway at Branching Out Support Services (BOSS), an organization that offers programming to adults with developmental differences.

BOSS is working on launching the CommonFare Kitchen, which will offer culinary training and workshops when renovations to the kitchen are complete and it opens in the spring. The kitchen is located within the BOSS building at 5 First Street.

In addition to the classes, the kitchen is being used to create a new social enterprise where the neurodiverse adults who work with BOSS create, package, and distribute packages of maple-kissed granola.

“They’re going to help us make the granola and package the granola, and we’re going to sell it to whoever will buy it from us,” said Cavell Martin Miller, who’s running CommonFare Kitchen. “It’s engaging them and giving some of them employment skills or volunteer skills that they can go out and use.”

The program will also be important for building life skills among the participants, Cavell noted,

“Many of them are on the verge of going out and living independently, so it gives them confidence. That’s the number one thing I think they take out of doing it,” she said. “It’s very rewarding to make your own product.”

Cavell operated a catering business for 11 years and spent several more teaching culinary programs and workshops with organizations like FoodShare, which help fight against issues relating to food insecurity.

She hopes CommonFare Kitchen brings a sense of belonging and ownership to the participants from BOSS, since it will 100 per cent be their program.

“I hope in the future that the participants take over this [granola] portion and run it themselves. Of course, we’re going to support them to whatever degree, administratively and maybe financially, doing banking and stuff. But really, my goal is that they’re actually going to take this program themselves and run it themselves,” she explained.

Cavell noted that in her past experiences, teaching cooking workshops for adults with acquired brain injuries, there are always people who thrive and see great success. She anticipates that she’ll see the same when working with the adults at BOSS.

“I have some experience running workshops like this, and there’s always the stars that shine,” Cavell enthused. “There are always the people that wow you. You find out what their skills are and what they’re particularly good at, and you capitalize on that by bringing them out, and giving them a leadership role.”

The kitchen experience will look great on a resume and offer opportunities to develop certain skills, Cavell noted.

“There’s going to be interpersonal communications, having to work together to get a job completed. It’s not just about the single person, it’s how do we get this job done together,” she said. “It also builds community for our participants within the community because they’re going to be out there meeting people that they’re selling [granola] to. We hope to go to the Farmers Market, and things like that. It gives them other skills and confidence to talk to people, to engage and to know how to volunteer or have a job.”

Years ago, Cavell developed a six-week long course that teaches people entry level skills to work in a commercial kitchen, whether it be at a school, daycare, or other venue.

She said she’s hoping to offer something similar through CommonFare Kitchen in the future, potentially through social services, where they stream people who are wanting to retrain their culinary skills and secure employment.

Cavell also spoke of the importance of knowing how to cook, as it has a direct impact on living a healthy life.

“Knife skills are life skills,” she told the Citizen.

With cooking not being widely taught in school, many people who never learned the skill from their parents at home go through life without knowing how to cook, which leads to them eating more highly processed foods, Cavell explained.

“This generation or the last two, potentially can die before their parents of obesity related illnesses,” Cavell said. “It sounds unbelievable, but it’s true. We have younger and younger people that have diabetes, that have high blood pressure, that have high cholesterol as teenagers because of the food that they’re eating. So that’s part of my mandate too, is that you can have delicious food, but it should be healthy food.”

The CommonFare Kitchen is for everyone, not just the adults who BOSS serves, so Cavell will be running cooking classes and fun events for people to enjoy, once it’s fully renovated and launches in the spring.

“We’re going to do both where we reach out and do skill building and social enterprise work, but also to engage the community so that it’s about inclusivity too. We want everyone to use it – everyone,” she stressed.

With renovations just starting, Cavell said BOSS could use some help from the community with donations of gently used or fully functional appliances to replace the older ones currently there.

Right now, a fridge, stove, and industrial grade dishwasher are needed.

“We don’t care what it looks like at all, but it’s got to work,” said Cavell about potential donations of appliances.

Other needed items include large stainless steel mixing bowls, a large stainless pot with a lid, immersion blender, food processor, and an electric can opener.

While volunteers aren’t currently needed, they will be in the future, so anyone who would like to contribute can contact Cavell at commonfarekitchen@gmail.com to learn more.

“Reach out to me, I would love to start to have a roster of people,” she noted. “It’s a great opportunity for high school students looking for their hours or retirees who are bored.”

Maple-kissed granola is always for sale and can be obtained by emailing Cavell.

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