EVERETT, JULY 15: For someone in recovery or with inconsistent housing, gaining the necessary skills for a career can seem impossible.
That is where HopeWorks Social Enterprises comes in. Since 2011, they have been offering pathways to self-sufficiency through education and hands-on job training for those struggling with addiction, finding secure housing, or mental health struggles.
They offer four job training programs, including landscaping, food service, retail, and childcare.
Parent company Housing Hopes’ main goal is to address affordable housing. They own and operate 601 affordable units at 24 locations throughout Snohomish County.
While Housing Hopes focuses on housing security, the affiliate HopeWorks provides resources for self-sufficiency. HopeWorks Station is located on 3331 Broadway.
Thanks to a million-dollar grant from the Gates Foundation, HopeWorks got the boost they needed to complete their latest addition: a fully furnished kitchen for job training and catering.
The New Catering Kitchen
Kindred Kitchen Cafe is used in the HopeWorks training program. Trainees learn customer service skills on top of making food and beverages.
Before the upgrade, the cafe kitchen was used for training, catering orders and cafe operations. Needless to say, it got a little crowded, Joan Penney, Sr. Director of Resource Development, Marketing said.
The new kitchen will be used solely for job training and catering, providing more space for cafe operations.
Construction of the new culinary kitchen was completed March 6, 2025, and became operational in April.
The kitchen is part of a 5,000 sq ft expansion at HopeWorks Station, which will also include a banquet hall for events, which is currently under construction.
Additional funding for the project came from the Washington State Department of Commerce, The Employees Community Fund of Boeing and The Sunderland Foundation.
HopeWorks is able to use part of the Gates grant to sustain staffing for the catering kitchen, but is looking to seek federal funding for maintaining operations, Lauren Pease HousingHope Senior Grants Manager said
Next week HopeWorks will unveil the new culinary kitchen during their Summer Dinner honoring the HopeWorks and Housing Hope boards, which will be combining into one.
The Program
Last year, the Job Training Academy had a total of 134 trainees, 28 enrolled in Kindred Kitchen.
The food service and culinary training program currently has four enrollees, with availability for more. Eight participants have already graduated and have been employed, Pease said.
There are no requirements to join HopeWorks training programs, Penney said.
“We really work to remove barriers for people. So, if people are lacking the right shoes or the clothes or even food insecurity, we try to provide those for our trainees,” Penney said.
Cody Cadden, Technical Culinary Trainer, was a student at Kindred Kitchen before being promoted to trainer.
Cadden was struggling with drug addiction and homelessness. He attended the Snohomish County Diversion Center, a facility offering short-term placement and shelter to homeless adults with a substance use disorder and other behavioral health issues. He started to slowly help himself step by step, he said.
He found out about the training at HopeWorks through his roommate, and went through the program earlier this year.
“It really has just changed my life to be able to… going from being homeless for two years to showing that I can be a member of society… and making an improvement,” Cadden said.
Cadden will work primarily in the new culinary kitchen teaching technical aspects, but also helping students reach personal goals.
“It’s exciting to be in a position where I can encourage them to think about their goals, and what they want to do and help them get there. The teachers and trainers here never held my hand through the process but they facilitated my growth, and this is what I want to do. To be able to show them I am here to help if need be and to facilitate their learning,” Cadden said.
