Chef Susan Anderson

Susan Anderson always loved cooking. When her wages stagnated, she lost her car and then her home, Susan applied to Second Harvest Food Bank’s 14- week Culinary Training Program with the hope of a new beginning for her family.

“I was working in retail management and food service but my career was stalled,” recalls Anderson. Thanks to your generosity, Susan entered the Culinary Training Program and learned new culinary and life skills. The formal training taught her to focus on the task at hand, assess a situation and find a solution before moving on to the next step skills she can use in the kitchen and at home.

Upon graduation, Anderson found employment at the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Resort. “I have a job I love and I’m very good at what I do,” says Anderson. “Completing this program gave me the courage to step outside my comfort zone and see the opportunities for better wages and marketable skills.”

Her confidence and skills have not only made a strong impression on her employer with two internal promotions within a year, but also on her children. Her two college-age sons witnessed her transformation from “just a mom” to “my mom is a chef.”

Today, Anderson has ambitious goals to pursue a bachelor’s degree in culinary management, gain experience in front of the house hospitality and explore opening a food truck. Anderson says, “I was blind before, but now I have vision to see what’s possible.”

Susan’s family received a new beginning and a bright future thanks to you.

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