Program prepares participants to go from welfare to work

MIDDLETOWN – After years of renovations to the historic building it now calls home, Mill Street Café opened for business in Middletown this summer, according to a press release.
The organization said the site is administered by anti-poverty nonprofit Regional Economic Community Action Program, and is modeled after their Fresh Start Café job readiness program whose participants are typically long-term public assistance recipients who learn skills to succeed in the service industry.
According to the release, training participants for the Mill Street Café will typically be drawn from several sources within RECAP as well as agencies and the community at large.
The success of participants is largely due to the mentorship and leadership from the women who oversee the café’s operations including purchasing, scheduling, customer service, and job development and readiness, the release said.
Charlene Woodson, Justine Figueroa, Melida Lopez, Christine Cordeo Lazar and Sharon Delgado work with trainees across RECAP’s three training sites: Mill Street Café in Middletown, Fresh Start Café in Newburgh, and the training kitchen at HONORehg homeless shelter in Middletown.
Woodson works as the training and services manager and handles trainee case management and advancing the program through public relations and outreach, according to the release.
She has experience in the culinary industry, human services and job readiness through restaurant and business management as well as working for private country clubs, event halls and cruise liners, the release said.
Outside of the café she owns an event service business.
“I was in the supermarket and I ran into one of my former clients and she told me how much better she was doing since being in the cafe program,” Woodson said in the release. “Although she wasn’t happy when she first started the program, she said I had a positive impact. She learned that a single minority mother could hold herself to a higher standard, be well-spoken and hardworking, and have the satisfaction of providing for her children on her own.”
Executive Chef Justine Figueroa prepares baked goods, prep food for breakfast and lunch, and ensures food safety, the release said.
She said she has certification from Orange-Ulster BOCES for culinary arts and worked for local establishments including Billy Joe’s Ribworks and Price Chopper before starting work with trainees at RECAP’s Fresh Start Café in Newburgh.
“I ran into a former trainee in New Windsor who ended up not entering the culinary field, but said the program changed her home life and how she approaches food,” she said in the release. “She now has the resources to cook for herself and stopped spending money on outside food. She learned how to choose ingredients, make recipes, and plan menus at home that help her maintain a healthy diet.”
Job Developer Melida Lopez assists trainees with resumes and cover letters, scheduling job interviews and transportation, the release said.
According to the release, she also works with clients at RECAP’s Newburgh Services office and Fresh Start Café in Newburgh.
“A moment I will never forget is when a trainee told me, ‘If it wasn't for you I would not have gotten this job,’" she said in the release. “I took him to a walk-in interview at a local warehouse where at least eight other applicants were waiting in the room. All of them were called in for a group interview, except my trainee who was called in separately. Afterwards he was offered a position that he was over qualified for. He was surprised and confused and sad that he wasn’t given the same opportunity as the rest of the group. We were about to leave but I asked to speak with a hiring manager and I explained why my client and I thought he was being discriminated against because he was Spanish. I told the manager how he should be considered based on his work experience and the conversation ended with an offer for the position he was hoping for. When I gave him the news he couldn't believe it and thanked me for advocating on his behalf.”
Street Cafe Operations Manager Christine Cordero Lazar oversees day to day operations including sales, inventory, marketing, skills development and mentoring, according to the release.
The release said she has more than 10 years’ experience with RECAP including administrative roles in supportive housing, facilities and maintenance operations.
“Our Newburgh café hired a participant after she finished her training period. To see her journey from the start and see where she is why I love what I do,” she said. “She has always been a part of the team! Mill Street Cafe is another long-awaited excitement and by far the best experience in my career. It’s a new and different project but our creative and experienced team continues the same mission of strengthening our community. We had fun creating the “Craft and Quality” menu theme and look forward to incorporating local artists for a seasonal gallery in the space. The vibe and ambiance of the cafe call for artistic creations.”
Front End Manager Sharon Delgado works with participants in the kitchen at HONORehg homeless shelter in Middletown as they learn to take food orders, develop menus, learn customer service, and maintain inventory and safety, according to the release.
She has more than 10 years with RECAP, experience in a school cafeteria, and roles as fill-in food service worker in the kitchen at HONORehg shelter in Middletown, according to the release.
“I helped the café move from its former location in the community campus into HONOR shelter in 2012,” she said in the release. “The kitchen not only serves all of the shelter’s meals, but is a community space staff use for parties, special events, and coffee and fresh fruit throughout the day. It’s a community area for residents who can’t get out to work. I’ve seen our trainees find jobs at local large-scale food service facilities such as HONOR, Braemar Living, and schools. I’m excited to see the program’s growth and success, as well as meet all the people we serve through teaching, our catering contracts, and customer service.”
According to the release, the café anchors a historic 3-story, 1875 brick building, that is part of the Mill at Middletown complex which began renovation in 2015.
The building, which formerly housed the manufacture of hats and furniture, and was spared demolition and now houses 15 housing units. A new connected 4-story addition holds 27 more apartments, the release said.
According to the release, the café serves breakfast, lunch, coffee, soups, and baked goods. It is open Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-3 p.m. Delivery is available and menus are at www.recap.org/cafe or by calling 845-421-6275.