FareStart

“I came back determined to change my life and to do what I love.”

It took some rough years for Natalie to come to this realization, but after graduating from FareStart’s Food Pathways Program this fall, she is now on the path to making her passion for cooking a reality. “My life's been a complete 360 and now I'm going for it … following and chasing after my dreams, which is food and feeding people.”

A huge thank you to Natalie for sharing her inspiring story with us. You can read the full story here: https://www.farestart.org/natalie%E2%80%99s-story-%E2%80%9Di%E2%80%99m-going-it%E2%80%9D

Be a part of the FareStart team! We are hiring a Director of Contract Meals, which oversees all aspects of FareStart’s meals program that serves local nonprofit organizations, schools, daycare centers and other clients. This leadership role is responsible for the operational and financial performance of our contract meals program, staff management, and ensures job training is incorporated into meal production. We also have openings on our philanthropy and job training teams.

Help us spread the word or apply today: https://www.farestart.org/careers

We did it! We put hope into action and exceeded our match for , thanks to you! We are grateful to you, and the hundreds of other donors who came together yesterday to raise over $94,000, including the matching funds.

Thank you again for your support of FareStart and the students who are rebuilding their lives!

P.S. Does your company match donations? Check here (https://doublethedonation.com/farestart) and follow your HR guidelines, and make that gift go even farther in putting hope into action!

There’s still time to give and double your impact. Because today is , a generous group of donors compiled a matching gift pool, helping FareStart to rebuild stronger as we support our students and put hope into action for people like Corey, who had this to say about his FareStart training:

“As the name implies, FareStart is a place of new beginnings, where you get the chance to start over. Isn’t that the least we deserve when we make a mistake in life?”

Corey is now an employment specialist at Goodwill, helping others get back on their feet, find jobs, upgrade their skills, go to college – whatever next step they’re ready to take toward stability and self-empowerment. Please lend your support to students like Corey and the thousands like him who are choosing a new path in life. Because isn’t it true that we all deserve the chance to start over?

Give today and double your donation: https://www.farestart.org/donate

Today is . This isn't just another online giving event, it's an opportunity to put hope into action during the holiday season. In the midst of giving thanks, celebrating rituals with friends and family and preparing for the shopping season, you are invited to create stronger, brighter futures.

This is what hope into action sounds like:

"You people have given back to me something I thought I had lost forever. The life I used to live and the length of time I lived it felt like oblivion. The self-empowerment I received from this program isn't something I expected to get. I am now confident, capable, loved, and know that I can achieve what I want." – 2023 FareStart Adult Graduate

Even better, today your gift to FareStart will be matched! A generous group of donors has agreed to match all Giving Tuesday online donations, to help put hope into action. Help us provide food security, personal stability and economic mobility with your hope and your gift to FareStart – doubled! – today.

Please donate here: https://www.farestart.org/donate

"FareStart makes it so easy to get involved with meaningful activities that make a difference in local communities.” – FareStart volunteer

You can help connect people in need with good jobs and healthy food by helping secure a $10,000 grant from First Tech Fed’s Season of Giving – nominate us now and spread the word!

It takes less than a minute: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/SOG23

Recent graduate Chelsea (she/her/they) shared her inspiring story of personal courage and transformation with FareStart supporters like you as part of her journey to rebuild her life and inspire others.

Faced with a diagnosis of chronic complex post-traumatic stress disorder (C-PTSD), mounting debt and the very real fear of losing her home, Chelsea enrolled in FareStart’s Food Pathways Program. There she learned the personal and professional skills needed to realize financial stability and economic mobility for herself and her family, harnessing the courage and resolve within herself to imagine a different outcome.

FareStart Job Training Program Supervisor Carman (she/her) explains it this way: “The one thing that we can give our students outside of just the services and everything else -- we give our students a chance to really believe in themselves, and that right there is the most important thing that we do."

Will you help FareStart disrupt poverty by supporting students like Chelsea as they work to imagine a brighter future?

Please donate here: https://www.farestart.org/donate

Read Chelsea's story here: https://www.farestart.org/chelseas-story-i-wasnt-going-give-myself

FareStart students know about rebuilding. They show resilience and persistence every day in our programs to get to a better place in their lives – a place of personal stability and economic mobility. They overcome many hardships and barriers to success – like systemic racism, poverty, unstable housing, abuse, mental health challenges, substance use disorders and incarceration.

Likewise, FareStart is rebuilding our businesses and programs after the pandemic’s dramatic disruption so we can support more courageous and determined students in the future.

All individuals deserve opportunities to thrive, and we, the FareStart community, can provide them. We can rebuild, together.

Will you help FareStart rebuild stronger?

Please donate here: https://www.farestart.org/donate

Tomorrow, November 12, you can join MOD Pizza in raising some dough for FareStart! 🍕 🥤

MOD Pizza will donate 25% of your order if you show this flyer when ordering in person or use the fundraiser code (MODGIVES20) when ordering online. See the list of participating locations here: https://modpizza.force4good.com/event/6b6546ef-7711-44cb-a9a1-53093b5a85f8

Thank you, MOD Pizza for partnering with us to help remove barriers to employment.

We can’t stop thinking about all the amazing love and support we felt at our a few weeks ago. We had a great time and wanted to share some of the fun memories from the evening. Thank you to John Curry Photography and Dan DeVries Photography for the great photos!

You can read more about the event here: https://www.farestart.org/farestart%E2%80%99s-31st-annual-gala

you can help nourish communities and your taste buds at the same time? 🍕

MOD Pizza is celebrating it’s 15th anniversary by generously donating 25% of all sales this Sunday, November 12 to FareStart at 27 participating locations across the Seattle area.

Click the link to see the full details: https://modpizza.force4good.com/event/6b6546ef-7711-44cb-a9a1-53093b5a85f8

First Tech Fed’s Season of Giving is in full swing --- and FareStart is in the running for a $10,000 grant!

If you’d like to help transform lives, disrupt poverty and nourish communities, nominate FareStart and help spread the word: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/SOG23

A huge thank you to the First Tech employees pictured, who helped with some FareStart Gala administrative preparations last week.

We are heartbroken about the passing of our longtime friend Chef Thierry Rautureau aka “The Chef in the Hat”( Thierry Rautureau). Not only was Chef Thierry a local culinary treasure, but he was a FareStart advocate since our founding days over 30 years ago. He contributed to countless Guest Chef Nights, Gala Dinner Auctions and fundraising efforts as well as our job training programs. He enthusiastically cheered on our students while standing side by side with them to create exquisite and delicious dishes and had this to say about his time with FareStart: “I love the feeling you get from being in the kitchen with people who are doing something meaningful to change their lives, knowing they are grateful for the opportunity.”

Chef Thierry gave his time and energy to many other nonprofits as well, championing food security locally and across the country. He recognized the power of food to draw our community together in so many meaningful ways: “Food is the only language that allows you to communicate without speech,” Chef Thierry reflected. “You can sit on a rock eating food out of a shell, smiling at the person next to you who is doing the same, and you are communicating without saying a word. Food is the great connector of the world.”

We are deeply grateful for Chef Thierry’s generous spirit and the joie de vivre he brought to everything he did.

We send our love and sympathies to his wife Kathy, his family and colleagues.

“Reflecting on my experience, I'm profoundly grateful for the transformation I underwent at FareStart. This exceptional organization did more than teach me culinary arts. It empowered me to reshape my life and to positively impact those around me with the skills I gained. I learned about the power of teamwork and grace in the face of unforeseen hurdles. The kitchen was a road full of trials and of self-doubt, but alongside my peers, I found the courage and resolve within me.” - Chelsea, FareStart graduate

We were honored to share Chelsea’s tale of personal transformation and self-discovery at this year’s Annual Gala Auction & Dinner. Chelsea’s story is truly an inspiration, and our community is a better place because of her.

Read Chelsea’s story here: https://bit.ly/NotGivingUpOnHerself and watch her video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s9B8J6WmmIM

We are so grateful for the amazing love and support we felt at our this past Sunday!

Thanks to your incredible generosity, together we exceeded our goal, raising over $1.8 million, which will directly support our work to transform lives, disrupt poverty and nourish communities through food, life skills and job training.

Our heartfelt thanks to our hardworking auction committee, volunteers and staff; to our big-hearted donors and sponsors; to our exceptional food partners Taylor Shellfish Farms, Elliott's Oyster House - Seattle, Chef Brady Williams of Tomo, Chef Rachel Yang of Revel/Joule Restaurant/Paper Cake Shop, Chef José Chavez of the Seattle Convention Center, Chef Rachael Coyle of Coyle's Bakeshop and our very own FareStart Chefs; and to you, the FareStart community, for supporting our transformational work.

A big shout out to our event sponsors who made FareStart’s 31st Annual Gala Auction & Dinner possible:

Amazon.com
BECU
Microsoft
Nayamode
The Boeing Company
Cornerstone Architectural Group
Griffis Residential
Symetra
Alaska Airlines
Gates Foundation
BizX
Charlie's Produce
Deloitte
Holman HQ
KPMG
Bargreen Ellingson
MOD Pizza
PCC Community Markets
Starbucks
Fidelity Investments
U.S. Bank

We’re thrilled to celebrate FareStart’s 31st Annual Gala Auction & Dinner today!

Whether you’re able to attend the event or not, we have many fun and unique auction packages that you can still bid on. And best of all, your participation directly supports FareStart’s mission to transform lives, disrupt poverty and nourish communities.

Get your bids in before the online auction closes at 6:30 p.m. https://farestrt2023.ggo.bid/bidding/package-browse

We want to thank our generous Gala sponsors who help support the Amazon.com, BECU, Microsoft, Nayamode, The Boeing Company, Cornerstone Architectural Group, Griffis Residential, Symetra, Alaska Airlines, Gates Foundation, BizX, Charlie's Produce, Deloitte, Holman HQ, KPMG, Bargreen Ellingson, MOD Pizza, PCC Community Markets, Starbucks, Fidelity Investments and U.S. Bank.

Get your bids in now while you still can! Our online auction ends this Sunday, October 29 at 6:30 p.m. We have some unforgettable auction packages that you won’t want to miss out on.

And best of all, your participation directly supports FareStart’s mission to transform lives, disrupt poverty and nourish communities.

How about gathering 12 of your friends for an extraordinary open-air dinner on Vashon Island, hosted by two renowned island locals, Chefs Dre Neely of Gravy. Vashon and Matt Lewis of Where Ya At Matt.

Or you could win a five-course dinner for four with wine pairings from celebrated Chef Brady Ishiwata Williams of Tomo, recognized as one of the country's best new restaurants by Esquire and the Robb Report.

Chef Holly Smith has also generously donated a dinner for four at Cafe Juanita, nominated for Outstanding Service and Restaurant in the U.S. by the James Beard Foundation.

And there is much, much more. Check out these and other not-to-be-missed auction packages here: https://farestrt2023.ggo.bid/bidding/package-browse

SeattleRestaurantWeek is off and running! Don’t miss out on this wonderful opportunity to celebrate and support the Seattle culinary community and to strengthen our local economy as you savor the city’s diverse and innovative local food scene. Running now through November 4.

Learn more here: https://srweek.org/

Calling all Dick's Drive In Restaurant burger fans! The Dick’s Drive-In Food Truck is on the move, and it could be yours if the price is right! Dick’s Burgers has generously donated their food truck for a two-hour event, serving burgers and shakes for up to 200 people. This special package is available in our online auction, which opens this coming Monday, October 23 at 10 a.m. PT. Register now so you can be the first in line to bid on this and other fantastic packages in FareStart’s Annual Gala Auction & Dinner.

Register here: https://farestrt2023.ggo.bid/bidding/package-browse

Buy your tickets to the Gala here: https://www.farestart.org/farestart-gala

We have some extra special dining experiences open for bidding in our online auction, thanks to the incredible generosity of our chef partners in the community.

There’s a Canlis New Year’s Eve party for four, prepared by Chef Aisha Ibrahim who has been recognized as one of Food &Wine’s best new chefs of 2023. The package also includes Butler Seattle valet service and a hotel stay at the Crowne Plaza Hotels & Resorts.

Or how about a dinner party for 12 at Casalinga, prepared by Chef Michela Tartaglia? Pasta Casalinga has been a culinary institution in the Pike Place Market for over a decade and has a reputation as one of Seattle's top dining destinations.

Chef Sabrina Tinsley is offering two seats for her famous Italian showcase dinner at Osteria La Spiga, recognized as one of the top Italian restaurants in the world by Gambero Rosso International’s 2022 guide.

And we are thrilled to offer a dinner for 12 at Chef Kristi Brown’s Communion Seattle known for its exceptional “Seattle soul” food and recognized as a James Beard semifinalist and Best Restaurant of the Year by Seattle Met. That Brown Girl Cooks

Your participation will help support FareStart’s mission to transform lives, disrupt poverty and nourish communities.

Bidding is open now through this Sunday, October 29 on these and other fantastic experiences in our online auction: https://farestrt2023.ggo.bid/bidding/package-browse

“You make a million decisions that mean nothing, and then one day you order take-out and it changes your life.”

Relive the magic of “Sleepless in Seattle” on board the iconic houseboat while dining on a gourmet dinner for eight prepared by acclaimed Chef Brendan McGill. McGill’s Seabird restaurant (Hitchcock Restaurant Group) on Bainbridge Island has been recognized as one of the 24 best new restaurants of the year by Bon Appetit, so it is sure to be a memorable and delicious evening. https://www.bonappetit.com/story/best-new-restaurants-2023/

This might not change your life, but then again, who knows? Tom Hanks

Our online auction is live, and this exclusive auction item is open to bidding!
Register here: https://farestrt2023.ggo.bid/bidding/package-browse

FareStart’s celebrated Guest Chef Night is coming back in 2024! Attend our Gala Auction & Dinner and you will have a chance to bid on tickets to our first Guest Chef Night in four years. Our first event on January 25, 2024, will showcase the culinary artistry of Chef Melissa Miranda of Musang Seattle and Kilig as she works alongside our students to prepare a multi-course meal for guests. Dinner will take place at the FareStart Restaurant and be paired with the superb wines of Eight Bells Winery.

Tickets for this special night are being sold exclusively at FareStart’s Gala Auction & Dinner on Sunday, October 29. It’s not too late to purchase your tickets!

Buy your gala tickets: https://farestart.ejoinme.org/2023fsgala
Preview auction items: https://farestrt2023.ggo.bid/bidding/package-browse

We are excited about the return of Guest Chef Night next year. We are planning to hold at least twelve Guest Chef events and are working with local chefs on the line-up and schedule. Stay tuned for more details early next year.

FareStart graduate Chef Jesse Hill of JessRealCuisine is serving up his very special Royale Ube Bom cake at this year’s FareStart Gala Auction & Dinner.

This Royale Ube Bom cake showcases the purple and gold colors of royalty. Ube, meaning purple yam in Tagalog, is originally from the Philippines with a slightly nutty, vanilla taste. The cake is layered with Jesse’s signature Hawaiian shortbread cookie crust, cream cheese nougat, a vegan cheesecake filling, marshmallow cream and edible gold spray. “Cooking is my passion, and giving back to others is my purpose,” says Jesse.

We appreciate Jesse’s commitment to FareStart and his delicious BOM cakes and hope you will join us as we celebrate all of our students’ successes at this year’s Annual FareStart Gala Auction & Dinner.

We also appreciate our generous Gala sponsors who help support our mission of disrupting poverty, transforming lives and nourishing communities. Thank you Amazon.com, BECU, Microsoft, Nayamode, The Boeing Company, Cornerstone Architectural Group, Griffis Residential, Symetra, Alaska Airlines, Gates Foundation, BizX, Charlie's Produce, Deloitte, Holman HQ, KPMG, Bargreen Ellingson, MOD Pizza, PCC Community Markets, Starbucks, Fidelity Investments and U.S. Bank.

Buy your tickets here: https://www.farestart.org/farestart-gala
Read Jesse’s story here: https://bit.ly/JessRealCuisine

Imagine sitting courtside at a Los Angeles Lakers game, or in club-level seats behind the glass as our Seattle Kraken take on the LA Kings. Or how about 18 Tunnel Club Suite tickets to the Olivia Rodrigo concert, with a private lounge and reserved seats in Climate Pledge Arena’s lower bowl?

These and other unforgettable experiences can be yours by attending our 31st Annual Gala Auction & Dinner on Sunday, October 29. It’s not too late to buy your tickets and bid on these and other amazing auction packages while you help raise funds to support FareStart’s mission.

Buy your tickets and preview our other auction items here: https://www.farestart.org/farestart-gala

Travel in style with these once-in-a-lifetime trips which could be yours in our annual Gala Auction & Dinner!

Whether it’s exploring the vibrant streets of Lisbon, wine tasting in the serene Douro Valley of Portugal, exploring the lush tropical rainforests of the Osa Peninsula in Costa Rica, soaking up the sun on the pristine beaches of Greece, or enjoying the magic of the Methow Valley right here in our own backyard … you won’t want to miss out on these exciting live and online auction packages!

Buy your tickets today to FareStart’s 31st Annual Gala Auction & Dinner on October 29 and preview our auction items here:
https://www.farestart.org/farestart-gala
https://farestrt2023.ggo.bid/bidding/package-browse

Imagine winning a private, multi-course dinner at Lark prepared by this world-renowned lineup of award-winning Seattle chefs:

John Sundstrom - Chef/Owner of Lark
J. Kenji López-Alt (J. Kenji López-Alt) - Chef, Author, and NY Times Columnist
Taichi Kitamura - Chef/Owner of Sushi Kappo Tamura
Holly Smith - Chef/Owner and Lauren Thompson - Chef de Cuisine of Cafe Juanita

Or how about a private dinner for ten at the home of famed Seattle restauranteur Chef Tom Douglas (Tom Douglas Restaurants) with special guest Chef Thierry Rautureau.

These and other once-in-a-lifetime experiences will be auctioned off in FareStart’s Annual Gala Auction & Dinner on Sunday, October 29. These acclaimed chefs have generously donated their time to benefit FareStart, so please join us to share in the excitement as we raise funds to benefit FareStart’s job training programs.

Buy your tickets and preview our other auction items here: https://www.farestart.org/farestart-gala
https://farestrt2023.ggo.bid/bidding/package-browse

We rely heavily on volunteers each and every day to help support our mission, and our upcoming Gala Auction & Dinner on Sunday, October 29 is an important (and fun!) way to give back. The auction is less than one month away, and we still have over 60 spots to fill – so please sign up now for one of these volunteer roles:

Section Captain
Volunteer Welcome Lead
Registration
Mystery Envelope Seller
Raffle Ticket Seller
Cake Boss
Bidder Recorder

Sign up here: https://www.farestart.org/volunteer

A big shoutout to the more than 50 volunteers who spent last Sunday selling 50/50 raffle tickets at the Seattle Seahawks home game to benefit FareStart and other Spirit of 12 Partners. Working in partnership with volunteers from Starbucks, Amazon.com and Seattle Pride, we broke the previous sales record, selling over $150,000 in raffle tickets – ½ of which will go to Spirit of 12 nonprofit partners.

We have many other volunteer opportunities available (including another Seahawks 50/50 raffle on 11/23), so please consider donating your time. Every helping hand makes a difference. You can find out more and sign up here: https://www.farestart.org/volunteer

Savor every bite as we raise funds to transform lives! Buy your tickets now – or sign up to volunteer – at our 31st Annual Gala Auction & Dinner, taking place on Sunday, October 29 at the Seattle Convention Center – Skybridge. You won't want to miss this gourmet, multi-course meal prepared by our very own chefs and special featured guest chefs.

Purchase tickets: https://www.farestart.org/farestart-gala
Sign up to volunteer: https://farestart.galaxydigital.com/

We were so excited to get an email from one of our Mobile Community Market customers who turned last week’s produce into some delicious and healthy meals for their family. Thanks to the generous donations of our farm partners and gleaning volunteers, we were able to give away zucchini, spinach, parsley, lettuce, eggplant, baby bell and shish*to peppers, jalapenos, cucumbers, carrots and cantaloupe to people with limited access to this fresh produce. Come visit us at October’s mobile market! And a big shout-out to our farm and mobile market partners:
Ecolibrium Farms
Sound Sustainable Farms
Foodlifeline
Queen Anne Farmers Market
Full Circle Farms
Alvarez Organic Farms
Amazon.com
Kent YMCA
Food Bank Farm
Kitsap Farms

We can’t wait to participate in this important Sound Transit event celebrating Latinx culture and sharing valuable employee resources and career opportunities. Come say hello and learn about FareStart’s job training programs and support services. The event takes place this Friday, October 29 from 3-6:30 p.m. at Union Station, so sign up now.

Click the QR code or follow this link to learn more and register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/latinxpo-career-resource-and-cultural-celebration--tickets-714177794007?aff=oddtdtcreator

We are excited to announce our featured guest chefs for this year’s Gala Auction & Dinner that will take place on Sunday, October 29!

Chef Brady Williams of Tomo; Chef Rachel Yang of Revel, Joule Restaurant and Paper Cake Shop; Chef Jose Chavez of the Seattle Convention Center; and Chef Rachael Coyle of Coyle's Bakeshop will be joining FareStart chefs in producing a gourmet, multi-course meal that is sure to delight you.

You won’t want to miss this special evening, so grab your tickets now and help support FareStart!

Buy your tickets here: https://www.farestart.org/farestart-gala

As part of our focus on self-empowerment and goal-setting, we share practical life skills such as computer and financial literacy with our students to help them achieve their goals. Last week, students in our Online Learning Program explored the importance of establishing a credit score and learned various strategies and resources for how to manage debt.

Registration for the next Online Learning Program cohort opens Sept. 25. Learn more and apply now: https://www.farestart.org/online-learning-program

“I didn’t start adulting until I was 48 years old,” says Vicky, a FareStart Online Learning graduate. But once she set her mind to it, there was no stopping her. Every day, Vicky logged in to class eager to contribute. She appreciated learning food safety basics and other culinary fundamentals, which boosted her confidence in her role as the main cook in a prison kitchen, where she was employed through a work-release program.

Vicky embraced the classes on self-empowerment, employability, budgeting, and how to build a strong resume and carry yourself calmly in a job interview. “I’m kind of rough around the edges, so I learned how to properly sit and talk and answer questions appropriately,” Vicky explains.

Vicky graduated from FareStart in August 2022 and now works as a housing facilitator at Destination Hope & Recovery, helping people in need find supportive housing in Grays Harbor County. “It feels like I’m giving back, and that feels really good,” Vicky says. “Part of my giving back is trying to help people that are where I was at.”

You can read Vicky's full story here: https://bit.ly/VickyStory

More than 182 students have graduated from FareStart’s Online Learning Program since the program began in 2020. Students in the program receive a laptop, six weeks of virtual training, wraparound case management, and self-empowerment and job preparedness training, which includes financial literacy, resume-building, cover letter writing, mock interviews, and opportunities for employment referrals.

You can learn more and register here: https://www.farestart.org/online-learning-program