Homegrown Training Program
At Helpings Café, every meal is part of something bigger. Our Homegrown Training Program prepares individuals for careers in foodservice and beyond.
TRAIN. WORK. THRIVE.
Helpings Café is the training ground for UMOM New Day Centers’ Homegrown Culinary Training Program. Participants gain real-world kitchen and barista experience while preparing for stable employment and long-term housing.
HOW IT WORKS
LEARN BY DOING
Hands-on training in a real cafe environment
Cooking, barista training, customer service, safety and more
BUILD SKILLS
Food Handler Certification + Homegrown Certificate
EARN CREDENTIALS
Connected to 20+ local employer partners
LAUNCH CAREERS
REAL EXPERIENCE. REAL CUSTOMERS.
Training takes place at Helpings Cafe and UMOM’s residential dining kitchens, where participants serve real customers in a supportive, hands-on environment.
WHAT PARTICIPANTS LEARN
Food preparation and cooking techniques
Barista and espresso drink preparation
Customer service & POS systems
Kitchen safety & sanitation
JOBS + HOUSING =
ENDING HOMELESSNESS
Graduates leave ready to earn a stable income, support themselves and their families, and take the next step toward permanent housing.
Success Stories
“UMOM has given me the opportunity to grow and have a job that I love, to help people and to train students... And now they’ve given me the opportunity to manage the Residential Dining, which is huge for my career and for my family.”
“UMOM’s case workers and staff pushed me and told me to keep going, don’t give up... The Homegrown trainers were more of a family to me than my own family because they cared and asked me how I was doing every day.”