Cathedral Kitchen, a Camden-based nonprofit dedicated to fighting hunger and poverty, has been named one of four national recipients of the 2026 Partnership Circle Grant by the Jacques Pépin Foundation (JPF). The award will provide the organization with $50,000 over the next two years to support its Culinary Arts Training Program.
Since 2009, Cathedral Kitchen’s 15-week program has provided unemployed and underemployed local residents with hands-on culinary training, classroom instruction, ServSafe certification, and job readiness education. Accredited by the American Culinary Federation since 2021, the initiative also offers intensive case management to help students navigate and overcome barriers to steady employment.
The $50,000 grant will fund student stipends, support the organization’s dedicated Employment Specialist, and advance long-term expansion plans to enhance workforce development environments for future students.
“Cathedral Kitchen has spent more than 15 years proving that culinary education can be a catalyst for lasting economic mobility,” Rollie Wesen, executive director of the JPF, said. Wesen noted that following a previous 2024 grant from the foundation, Cathedral Kitchen graduated 91 students, with 95% securing employment at regional restaurants, healthcare systems, hotels, and corporate dining programs.
The JPF was founded in 2016 by the family of legendary chef Jacques Pépin to support community-based culinary programs that offer life skills and job training to individuals facing employment barriers. Since becoming a grant-making organization in 2019, the foundation has disbursed over $2 million to more than 100 programs nationwide.
“This grant will help us continue providing the hands-on training, mentorship, and support our students need to launch successful careers while meeting the growing demand for skilled culinary professionals throughout South Jersey,” Carrie Kitchen-Santiago, president and CEO of Cathedral Kitchen, said.
