Restaurant provides return to workforce training

PHOENIX (STN) – Located just north of Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport and right in the middle of the UMOM campus is a restaurant.

Anyone who has been to Helpings Cafe knows the food is great. Anyone who has been to an event catered by Helpings Cafe, like the monthly filming of “It Happens at STN,” would likely say the same. But all that good food is just a small bite of the overall mission.

“When you’re using our services, you’re giving back to the community,” said Edwin Donnovan-Jimenez, the associate director of social enterprise at Helpings Cafe. “You play a huge part in being part of the answer.”

The question that Donnovan-Jimenez said people can play a huge part in answering is getting people suffering from homelessness back into housing. And for a large portion of the homeless population, getting back into the workforce is a major step in that process.

“One hundred percent of the proceeds in revenue created at Helpings Cafe go back into supportive programs at UMOM,” Donnovan-Jimenez said.

Launched in 2014 as part of UMOM’s Homegrown Training program, Helpings Cafe provides, on-the-job training in a fully functional restaurant that is open to the public. The Homegrown Training program at Helpings offers 120 hours of training in barista, cashier, customer service, and culinary work over six weeks.

Learn more about the Helpings Cafe mission:

And while anyone is welcome to stop by for a coffee, pastry, a light lunch, or a take-out meal, organizations booking catering services keep the mission moving forward.

“I think we do a phenomenal job at collaborating with other organizations,” said Donnovan-Jimenez. “What separates the catering at Helpings Cafe from others is the quality that we provide.”

In the coming months, Helpings Cafe plans to expand its catering services into both the wedding and large gala space, something that excited Donnovan-Jimenez.

“If you want to wow someone, we have the capacity and the ability to do that.”

Donnovan-Jimenez explained that every time someone books catering services from Helpings Cafe, the impact is felt by many people.

“Just keep in mind that anytime that you use the cafe, every single nickel and dime that [goes] to UMOM [and] Helpings Cafe, not only is it being plugged back into the supportive services that we have at UMOM, but it’s also helping the community.”

Helpings Cafe is located at 3333 E. Van Buren Street and is open from 7a.m to 3 p.m Monday through Friday. For more on Helpings Cafe catering click here.