culinary – Madison Catholic Herald

On March 19, 2020

Culinary Creations Catering participants with a criminal record face significant barriers to finding employment

MADISON — Culinary Creations Catering (CCC) serves individuals facing barriers to employment and offers them the tools they need to build a brighter future and success in the workplace.

These barriers can be anything from housing instability, physical or mental health issues, lack of meaningful educational or career opportunities, or even racial discrimination (one recent study in Milwaukee found that black men received significantly fewer interview callbacks than white men, even though the study subjects had equal qualifications).

Past criminal record

Here we explore one of these barriers, which is reported by one-third of Culinary Creations participants: a past criminal record.

On May 5, 2016

Laura Green, For the Catholic Herald

Culinary Creations Catering expands

MADISON — “Used to be I couldn’t boil water, but now I’m a lot better at cooking. Plus I’m the best dishwasher in the United States,” said Larry with a laugh, explaining what he likes about his job.

Larry is a member of the Culinary Creations Catering crew, a social enterprise of the Catholic Multicultural Center (CMC).

From homeless to working

Before becoming involved with Culinary Creations Catering, Larry was homeless and struggling to find a job where he could make a living.