Kelvin Bailey at the EDWINS kitchen with his infectious smile!
Kelvin was part of the third class at EDWINS, which to most of us here seems like ages ago. However he left a lasting impression on what we do here at EDWINS. For anyone who has watched the 100 second chances video he features prominently in it and has continued to come back to EDWINS to speak to students here about what he’s seen and done since he graduated. We sat down to talk to Kelvin recently about what he’s been doing over the past year since he graduated in January.
When he initially graduated Kelvin did an apprenticeship with Red/Moxie in Beachwood. He had a chance to do a lot of different things and as he puts it, the experience gave him “a different view of how restaurants work” when he compared it to EDWINS. Unfortunately Moxie didn’t have any positions open so he went on to work at Corky and Lenny’s, where he had a chance to experience volume like he had never seen. “I can’t believe how fast it was, some days when I left I felt like I had corned beef everywhere” he says with a laugh. During this time he also continued to give back to EDWINS, “Kelvin’s Rule” as some of the staff call it was created in honor of him when he brought everyone at the restaurant 10 pounds of corned beef and all the fixings for Ruben sandwiches, though he has never done this since, some of us still hold out hope.
After about six months at Corky and Lenny’s he had the chance to move on when he found out Pier W was hiring, he applied and was quickly hired on as a line cook. Since then he has had a chance to see touch and feel “the best, and freshest fish” he has ever seen. Talking to him he tells us stories about how he’s had a chance to meet and talk to the fishermen who catch the fish and send it to the restaurant daily. Funnily enough though his favorite dish to cook….twice baked potatoes, he says with a smile on his face. And that perfectly describes Kelvin, he’s always smiling, always having a good time and always working hard whether at Pier W, or when he comes back to EDWINS just to say hello, and dice a few onions.
George Simpson
CLASS OF MARCH 2015
LINE COOK AND GARDE MANGER AT OLIVE GARDEN
Pictured left to right: George Simpson, Andrew Kisner, Clarence Graves
George Simpson first began on his culinary journey long before he started at EDWINS in August of 2014. George knew that he had a passion for gastronomy when he was a small child. He would assist his mother with her catering company and remembers helping her bake large wedding cakes, which cultivated his enthusiasm for the culinary arts early on. His very first job was as a cook at KFC, and he built onto that experience with many different jobs and positions in the restaurant scene.
George came to EDWINS to increase his learning potential, solidify his skills to become more marketable, and to network. His most memorable experience at EDWINS was when George and two of his fellow classmates traveled to Cincinnati and competed in an American Culinary Federation cooking competition with students from around the country. He placed third in the Solo Cooking Competition when he served his version of airline chicken and mashed potatoes with gravy and zucchini.
After a successful apprenticeship at Olive Garden, George, along with 24 of his fellow students, successfully graduated from EDWINS on March 15, 2015. This was an important life event for George because it gave him a sense of achievement and accomplishment that he was able to share with his friends and family.
After graduating, George took a position as a line cook at Olive Garden. He has additionally taken another job at Paco’s Tacos and still pursues his independent photography business on the side. George would like to thank the EDWIN'S staff for their continued support and for making so many resources available to him after graduation. He is forever grateful for the opportunity and the job skills that he learned. He says that his education has helped him to have a better sense of self-worth. He has learned valuable coping strategies and a work ethic that is unsurpassed by most. George states that anyone who puts the time and hard work into the program can find success using the skills that he has learned.
George views his completion of the EDWINS program as a stepping stone to furthering his culinary career. He plans to continue his education with small business management classes because he eventually would like to purchase several hot dog carts and start a family-run business of hot dog vendors.
We look forward to hearing about George’s future business plans and getting to eat some of his famous hot dogs! Best of luck to you, George!
EDWINS student speaking at a local school. Students working hard in the EDWINS kitchen. Student housing coming together.
We have much to be thankful for at EDWINS as we approach the end of a very busy year. Everything we do at EDWINS is to improve the future for our students and for the city of Cleveland by doing whatever it takes to make it happen. We're looking forward to a promising 2016 because we have so much to celebrate from the past year.
Culinary Classroom - With the help of Dennis Luke of RDS Construction, we started from the ground up in January by refurbishing the Culinary Classroom in the basement of EDWINS. We make every inch of the 400 square feet count with eight fully equipped stations, complete with induction burners, cutting board, pots and pans. We also took learning trips to Portside Brewery, Mitchell’s Ice Cream, and the West Side Market to introduce our students to the infinite career possibilities that their culinary education offers.
Graduates – with a culinary classroom, we are now able to start new classes every eight weeks and create a stronger student through small group instruction. The results – 102 graduates with zero returning to prison.
Placement – 98% of EDWINS graduates find a job within 30 days. Graduates are working at some of the finest establishments in town including: The Butcher and the Brewer, Crop Kitchen, fire food and drink, Mitchell’s Ice Cream, Pier W, Red, the Steakhouse and countless other culinary champions in and around Cleveland. In addition, at any given time, we have at least 35 restaurants who want to hire our graduates.
Campus - On February 23, some of Cleveland’s food geniuses – Dante Boccuzzi, Chris Hodgson, Doug Katz, Mike Mitchell and Steve Schimoler – along with acclaimed chefs from across the country, including David LeFevre, Giuseppe Tentori, and David Waltuck came together to put on a fundraiser to announce to the public our plans to build a campus. EDWINS Second Chance Life Skills Center is now a reality.
Events - EDWINS students were also able to contribute to Cleveland's thriving gastronomic scene by participating in several of this year's most vibrant events: the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Chef Jam, Taste of the Browns, Shaker Lakes Nature Center's Pestival and Cleveland Magazine’s Silver Spoon Awards.
While 2015 was an extraordinary year, the fight for those returning home from prison is far from over. With your help, we know that the achievements we'll celebrate in 2016 will be even greater.
COMMUNITY SUPPORT FOR EDWINS
Employees from Winston Products setting up the Alumni House John Carroll University Students getting the dormitory ready
In the spirit of the holiday season here at EDWINS, we wanted to highlight some of the people who are doing outstanding work to support our cause. EDWINS is more than just the restaurant and what you see when you walk in the door; it is a community supported by students, staff, patrons and volunteers.
An important volunteer we want to introduce to you is Kathie Biggin. Kathie got involved with EDWINS very early on when she came to dinner a few months after we opened. She loved our cuisine, and when she found out the mission behind the restaurant, she wanted to be even more involved.
Kathie exhausted several resources to secure funding for us to no avail; she kept pushing, though. She wanted to make sure EDWINS got the help we sorely needed. That’s when she presented the idea of getting Federated Church in Chagrin Falls to present us with its Christmas Eve offering, and, as she puts it, “The rest is history.”
It’s amazing what the drive and will of one person can do. Kathie is just one example of how when someone really believes in something, they can make it happen! With her help, and the help of others, like Our Lady of Peace Church in Cleveland and Saint Dominic Church in Shaker Heights, who also have been so immensely generous to us, we are able to progress in our mission of helping those who want a second chance and wish to do something better.
So to Kathie, Our Lady of Peace Church, Saint Dominic Church and everyone else who supports EDWINS, we thank you.
EDWINS SECOND CHANCE LIFE SKILLS CENTER
Comprised of three buildings with a 20,000 sq. ft. footprint, EDWINS Second Chance Life Skills Center is a beacon of hope for those in need of a place to stay and for those in Buckeye Neighborhood. Freshly painted blue shutters accent a modest white 3 story building that would look more at home in a college town. A budding college campus isn’t something one would expect to find at the corner of S. Moreland and Buckeye Roads. But that's exactly what EDWINS is in the midst of ushering into the neighborhood! With a fully functioning dormitory recently completed for up to 21 students, we have turned our attention to the other two buildings; an alumni house and a fitness center/culinary kitchen.
Though construction crews are hard at work every day tearing out floors and building new walls, the "EDWINS corner" received love from a different source as more than 40 volunteers from Winston Products came through to help with everything from painting, to moving furniture and even hanging Christmas decorations. It was truly a sight to see as people from around the city stopped by to lend a helping hand. Once completed, the Alumni house located next to the student dormitory will act as a housing options for recent graduates, with whom the barriers of renting a place are still present, allowing for clean, safe living while they search for a place they can call their own.
The fitness center and culinary kitchen that comprise the third building of our campus will house state of the art fitness equipment, full locker room facilities and culinary space that many institutions would envy. This space is crucial to complete the campus for our students as we create the best learning environment for culinary arts and hospitality management success.
If you have not had a chance to see the space for yourself, sign up here for a tour or give us a call to set up a time. Who knows what will be next on the campus. Stay tuned…
Join us on Tuesday January 19th to see the good. In the month that celebrates Martin Luther King Jr. it’s important to see the good one can do. At EDWINS we are committed to seeing this through. On January 19th if a guest brings in a news article featuring a positive story they will receive a free appetizer or dessert. We look forward to seeing all the good you bring us!
