MILFORD, DE- Twenty-two students celebrated new beginnings today after completing the Food Bank of Delaware's 12-week culinary and L.O.G.I.C. training programs. The graduation ceremony honored the hard work and perseverance of students who gained hands-on skills at no cost.
The Culinary School program trains students for entry-level jobs in restaurants and food service. The 12-week course combines classroom instruction, hands-on kitchen training, and a two-week work experience.
The L.O.G.I.C. (Logistics, Operations, General Warehousing, and Inventory Control) program is a trade course that provides students with practical experience in the Food Bank's warehouses, where they learn to operate forklifts, pallet jacks, and cherry pickers.
All 22 graduates earned OSHA-30 certifications, several logistics students received Certified Logistics Associate credentials, and two earned Certified Logistics Technician credentials, marking the start of new career opportunities across Delaware.
DeAngelo McGlotten, a graduate from the L.O.G.I.C. program, said he joined the program after seeking a new direction in life.
"I enrolled in a program because I thought it would be a good opportunity to try something new."
Now, with his logistics and warehouse certifications in hand, McGlotten said the program not only prepared him for the future but also gave him a chance for a new beginning.
"It felt good because I was in a place I didn't want to be a year ago. And for me to get my certificate, I had the support of my family and the people who showed up."
Kathy Kanefsky, CEO of the Food Bank of Delaware, said the program is helping people succeed while filling important jobs across the state.
"We're churning out skilled professionals now for jobs that are needed. And when you talk about the landscape throughout Delaware, and you look at the unemployment rate and the opportunities that are possible, we have people now to fill them."
Kanefsky added that after an especially challenging year at the Food Bank, marked by federal policy changes, government shutdowns, and SNAP uncertainties, the students' perseverance, hard work, and commitment—despite personal challenges—is what the day is all about.
"All the challenges that we face here at the Food Bank are nothing compared to the person that's coming to us and what those challenges have done to them and their own personal lives. It feels like a year that demands we be more hopeful and more resilient. And today symbolizes that."
The ceremony marked the end of one chapter and the start of a new beginning for many graduates, as they stepped into careers built on the skills and certifications they earned.
