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CAFÉ MOMENTUM
DALLAS, TX
Changing direction in life isn’ t always easy. Café Momentum, a culinary training program for juvenile offenders in Dallas, teaches young people the skills they need to perform in the restaurant business with hands-on training from a professional chef. Volunteers at the organization further lend the inspiration and support needed to help them get their lives headed in the right direction.
After hearing the organization’ s vision, associates in Baird’ s Dallas branch along with Mark Stevanovic, Director of Baird’ s North Texas Market, chose to volunteer alongside Café Momentum interns in the“ dish pit” − one of the less glamorous jobs in the kitchen.“ I really believe in this program,” said Mark.“ I find myself connecting with the interns while we’ re scrubbing dishes and talking about all of the great things life has to offer when you work hard and do the right thing.”
THE BAIRD TEAM DOESN’ T JUST TALK THE TALK, THEY WALK IT.
CHAD HOUSER CHEF AND THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
CAFÉ MOMENTUM
“ The Baird team doesn’ t just talk the talk, they walk it,” said Chad Houser, a professional chef and the executive director at Café Momentum.“ Not only are they providing mentorship and camaraderie for the interns but by working in the dish pit, they show them that we’ re all in this together.”
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Mark Stevanovic( right) scrubs dishes in the“ dish pit” with a
Café Momentum intern.