I am a former employee of FareStart, a 30 year old nonprofit well-known in Seattle for its workforce development programs training marginalized communities in culinary skills. FareStart also expanded its programs to include hunger relief during the pandemic. FareStart has been experiencing a financial crisis for the past year due to mismanagement and dwindling public funds following the end of government pandemic funding. While many nonprofits nationally have been experiencing the same shifts in public funding as well as a reduction in private donations, FareStart leadership has failed to respond appropriately to these financial difficulties at the detriment of its staff. Its primary approach has been to “restructure” the organization through two separate rounds of layoffs in 2023 alone. Leadership has failed to provide sufficient support for remaining staff during and after the layoffs, putting more work on the plates of an already overworked workforce. Staff are consistently asked to take on more work beyond their job descriptions for no additional compensation or title changes. For workers who have to do physical labor (I.e. food transport) this involves physical strain to an extreme that would cause OSHA concern. FareStart continues to accept donations and public funding, but leadership has failed to provide a sufficient road map or business plan for their way out of the financial crisis beyond repeated “restructuring.”
FareStart markets itself as an anti-racist organization that stands for diversity, equity, and inclusion. In actuality, FareStart leadership routinely perpetuates discrimination against staff of color, female and trans staff, and disabled staff. Equity initiatives have been stonewalled, supposedly due to budget difficulties, but also because many of the staff who have been engaged in initiatives at this point have left the organization or been laid off. Complaints from employees around equity and accessibility were routinely dismissed, and there were concerns that some of these complaints to HR had mysteriously disappeared, either “lost” or destroyed. These trends are particularly concerning when considering the student programs, which enroll youth and adults who have experienced poverty, incarceration, houselessness, and systemic racism. Nationwide trends of reduced numbers of case workers in social services have exacerbated this issue, creating an environment where students, particularly students of color, are not sufficiently supported and potentially exposed to further harm when a trauma informed lens is considered.
In all, the reputation that FareStart retains in the Seattle nonprofit sector is founded on falsehoods, and the leadership continues to do harm to its staff and the King County community as it continues down the road of financial downfall.
I have been volunteering with FareStart in Seattle for about 6 years now. The community that revolves around this organization is top notch! Everyone is so friendly and there only for the right reasons - to help the student programs that FareStart provides. I am very passionate about FareStart and hope more spread the word to keep their programs thriving.
I've had the honor of eating at FareStart, donating to FareStart, and working with their incredible development team during my time in Seattle, and I can't recommend the organization enough. FareStart touches lives in our community in a way that no other organization does, and the constructive impact FareStart is having will be felt in Seattle and around the country for decades to come. I'm proud to be affiliated with this organization, and can't wait to see what they do next.
The first time I volunteered I went to one of their auctions. I was so touched to hear all of the stories of those who have been through the program and to see the AMAZING support that they had from the community. I have been volunteering with them ever since. Great vision, great staff and great results!
I love volunteering in the kitchen! The cheif's are great they really take the time to explain and demonstrate proper techniques for students and volunteers! I have especially enjoyed getting to know the students and been encouraged by their stories! Farestart is a wonderful organisation and gives so much to those in need around this Seattle!
FareStart is an inspiration to those of us who believe in the power of a strong mission, clarity in execution, and successful outcome. Hearing participants speak on behalf of the program's impact from a personal perspective, and the subsequent ability to deeply impact lives, is profound. I have been a fan for many years, and this year became a proud donor. I anticipate a long-term relationship and look forward to being a partner in future success!
I have been a weekly volunteer at FareStart for over three years, and I love this organization! Volunteers are welcomed with gratitude and respect, and rewarded with a deep sense of belonging. The passion for transformation inherent in the culture at FareStart is life-changing, not just for students but for all who come through the door.
I was introduced to FareStart a decade ago and became a board member 7 years ago. My understanding and appreciation for the organization has only grown with time. The impact the organization has on individuals who are interested in turning their lives around is tremendous. The fact that 85% of the graduates get jobs within 90 days of graduation is a testament to the terrific staff, execution and vision of the organization.
Fare Start is a remarkable social invention. By accepting work trainees from off the streets and teaching them a disciplined array of kitchen skills, they are providing job skills for life. By contracting with shelters to provide food for residents, they connect the eating needs of the dispossessed with the food preparation training skills their trainees need. By bringing leading local chefs in to provide weekly fundraising dinners, they provide more sophisticated culinary skills to the trainees and given the chefs and trainees mutual exposure, great for later job hunting. To be in the middle of those kitchens as a volunteer is a special treat, fun every time. Whether cutting up dozens of tear producing onions or helping to produce 750 burritos or delivering and serving meals to shelter residents, it is a remarkably satisfying sense of participating in something really meaningful.
I've been volunteering at the Fare Start kitchen (food prep, delivering meals to shelters) for more than a year now - what an amazing organization. Perfect integration - students learn valuable life- and professional-skills in culinary arts which position them for jobs; dozens of shelters benefit by receiving the "fruits" of their labors in the kitchen. And the public gets to partake of wonderful fare at Guest Chef Nights and regular lunches, giving the students more chances to practice their new skills. Most of all, for me, it has been personally meaningful to be helping this great organization at the grass roots level - working with the students, chefs, other volunteers in a well-organized yet convivial environment. Can't believe there's a better model anywhere!
I love both volunteering at Farestart and attending their events as a patron. It's amazing to see a whole community rally together to support this cause!
Our community has been serving monthly with FareStart for almost two years now, and love that we get to partner with an organization that is doing so many great things in our city. It's not only a great place to volunteer and serve at, but a great place to build relationships!
FareStart is a Seattle based not-for-profit that provides culinary and life skill training for homeless and disadvantaged individuals. FareStart is also a key partner in Catalyst Kitchens and helps non profits across the country develop similar transformative programs. It is truly inspiring to see FareStart students transform their lives and move from the streets to stable employment and housing. FareStart also provides over 2000 meals to low income day cares and shelters every day. I've volunteered at FareStart for the past 12 years and it has been the most meaningful work I've ever done. Delivering and serving shelter meals side by side with students who are themselves gaining the skills to become self sufficient is a humbling and fulfilling experience.