Eva’s story: A new career was her path to stability
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“We all fall to get back up – if you can see up, you can get up. We learn from the hardship. We all have an inner warrior.”
Eva is one of Project Renewal’s brilliant Culinary Arts Training Program (CATP) graduates, with a warm disposition and a fierce work ethic to match.
Seven years ago, Eva was going through a series of challenges in her work and personal life. She had moved from a homeless shelter into her own apartment in the Bronx, when suddenly, she lost her job at a dental clinic. She was concerned about being able to continue to pay her rent while caring for her sick mother, her children, and her grandkids. It was a dark time in her life, and she was worried about losing her home.
Everything changed when she learned about CATP through a friend. The six-month classroom and internship program put her on a new career path with upward mobility. The Project Renewal team immediately recognized Eva’s determination and talent. After graduating from CATP, she was hired as a cook at Marsha’s House, Project Renewal’s shelter for LGBTQ+ young adults. In February, she will celebrate six years working at the shelter, where she has been promoted to kitchen manager.
Eva credits CATP with the stability she has in her life. “I’ve been able to stay in my place because of the training and my job,” Eva says. “I’ve been able to repair my credit, pay my bills, and keep myself and my family comfortable.”
In addition to these benefits, Eva says the best gift she received from CATP was meeting people who really saw and supported her. “Ms. Cherry, [CATP’s Assistant Director], said ‘we love you here.’ That was something that I really needed to hear.” Eva fell in love with CATP’s community and maintains friendships with fellow graduates from her cohort to this day.
Having gained incredible financial and emotional stability from the program, Eva is eager to pass this gift on to others. “This program gave me something to look forward to when I didn't have anything to look forward to. We all fall to get back up – if you can see up, you can get up. We learn from the hardship. We all have an inner warrior.”
