San Francisco catering program helps mental health patients pursue culinary dreams

Main Idea: Humble Smith Francois graduated from Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital’s Slice of Life Catering Program, which helps people recovering from mental illness build kitchen skills and move toward culinary careers.

Key Points:

• Francois said the program gave them paid training in food safety, cooking technique, and presentation over six months.
• They joined the program after going through a hard move to San Francisco, homelessness, and therapy.
• The graduation meal was a creamy seafood pasta, showing the skills they learned in the program.
• Francois now hopes to get a job in a restaurant or café and later attend culinary school to become a chef.