$30,000 grant presented at organization’s graduation dinner
NEW YORK (January 23, 2019) – Finding a job can be difficult, especially for refugees coming to America. To help make this transition smooth, the nonprofit Emma’s Torch runs a highly effective and successful program for refugees to develop a career in the booming culinary industry. Emma’s Torch, as a social enterprise, has reimagined how refugees are integrated into society and it starts with tailored culinary training and hands-on apprenticeships at the Emma’s Torch restaurants. HMSHost Foundation presented $30,000 to Emma’s Torch at the organization’s graduation dinner yesterday, supporting these pioneering culinary apprenticeship programs for refugees as an important part of its fight against poverty.
“Refugees coming to America face enormous challenges and obstacles that often lead to situations in work and in life that nobody should ever have to face. Emma’s Torch welcomes refugees and gives them an asset they can rely on for the rest of their lives,” said HMSHost Foundation President Paul Mamalian. “The Emma’s Torch culinary training program is truly a blessing for many as an outlet for learning and career preparation and we want these talented, passionate, and hardworking people to succeed as they assimilate in America, and maybe eventually become a part of HMSHost’s family at our restaurants in New York’s airports. Emma’s Torch lays the groundwork for this to happen.”
Emma’s Torch Mission Statement: Harness the power of the culinary industry to help refugees build new lives in their new communities.
"We are so grateful for the support of HMSHost Foundation. Their gift, and their commitment to inclusion in the culinary industry sends a clear message to our students,” said Emma’s Torch Executive Director Kerry Brodie. “As our students begin their new careers in the culinary industry, we are proud that HMSHost can be a partner in their journey."
The signature Emma’s Torch Culinary Apprenticeship program is unlike any in existence for refugees. Everyone who goes through the program works at Emma’s Torch restaurant for eight 40-hour paid work weeks and receives an unprecedented 400 hours of training, work experience, and mentorship. Starting with basic culinary prep skills and ESL training, the students advance to full-time line cook roles in the Emma’s Torch restaurant and eventually prepare to interview at a top restaurant for full time positions. In the first year, 100% of Emma’s Torch-trained job-seeking students were placed in culinary positions.
HMSHost Corporation operates restaurants in airports and travel plazas in the New York Metropolitan area and plans to work with Emma’s Torch on recruiting and job placements, providing a new pathway to career success in the thriving culinary segment of travel industry. HMSHost restaurants in New York can be found at LaGuardia Airport, John F. Kennedy International Airport International Airport, Newark Liberty International Airport, and along the New York Thruway.
About HMSHost Foundation
HMSHost Foundation is a 501(c)(3) charity whose mission is to fight poverty in the local community with food, shelter, education, and workforce development. HMSHost Foundation is uniquely positioned to give back to the communities in which it operates by combating the cycle of poverty at the local level. Charitable work carried out by HMSHost Foundation is done based on pillars of giving:
Visit HMSHostFoundation.org for more information.
PAVIX: Proven Winner for All Airport Concrete Infrastructure
International Chem-Crete Corporation (ICC) manufactures and sells PAVIX, a unique line of crystalline waterproofing products that penetrate into the surface of cured concrete to fill and seal pores and capillary voids, creating a long lasting protective zone within the concrete substrate.
Once concrete is treated, water is prevented from penetrating through this protective zone and causing associated damage, such as freeze-thaw cracking, reinforcing steel corrosion, chloride ion penetration, and ASR related cracking.
This white paper discusses how the PAVIX CCC100 technology works and its applications.