As I see it, the main thing we are teaching our employees in this project is confidence—confidence that they can learn new skills, that they can communicate across almost any language barrier, and that they can be a crucial part of a team. Our hope is that what Berita learned with us played some part in helping her interview for and get a job, and that it will make her upcoming transition more smooth and less frightening. We will miss her.
This is an interview with Nelson Colon - the Providence Granola Project's "Serve Safe" whiz. He is a graduate of the Amos House Culinary Program.
Top: Godeliva, originally from Burundi, enjoys her first day (ever!) on a job in America.Middle: Berita and me with our big box of raisins.Bottom: Nelson Colon gets a pan ready for the oven.
A note from the cook: I grew up in Vietnam where the oranges weren’t orange. Kumquats, mandarins, persimmons, and papaya were orange. Dragonfruit were purple. Oranges were green.
We wanted to introduce you to our new digs and latest employee. Amos House, the soup kitchen and homeless shelter in South Providence, has allowed us to turn their commercial kitchen into a granola factory on Friday nights.
Ingredients: oats (org), barley (org), Sucanat (org minimally processed cane sugar), honey, canola oil (expeller pressed), sunflower seeds (org), flax seeds (org), sesame seeds (org), peanuts, cashews, almonds, oat bran (org), wheat germ, coconut (org), fried garbanzo beans, pecan meal, raisins, oat fiber, rye (org), almond extract, Celtic sea salt, cinnamon, fennel seeds, fenugreek, cumin, chili powder, turmeric, cardamom powder, curry leaves, coriander, nutmeg, black pepper, cloves.
