Two of Dogwood Apprentices were recently placed in the kinds of jobs we are hoping to find for them:
Long-term career opportunities, with competitive wages & benefits.

Congratulations to Vivian Williams, who is now employed by Mercy Hospital in a full-time job with benefits and tuition reimbursement.

Congratulations to Crystal Gatttis, who is now employed by the Sisters of Saint Francis in a  full-time, a creative job with benefits.

The Dogwood Apprenticeship program serves six to eight individuals at one time. All are transitioning from addiction, incarceration, and/or homelessness.

The training program provides:

• A focused, intensive, year-long, paid apprenticeship
• Bi-monthly classes taught by Chef Galen Sampson
• Case management services provided by non-profit partners
• Job placement in the food and hospitality career track

Why apprentice model?

Our chef, Galen Sampson, began his career in the restaurant business at the bottom and worked his way up to Executive Chef through apprenticing. It is his belief that hands-on experience is the most valuable and realistic preparation for a career in the food service industry. He also believes that wrestling with real-world production problems prepares trainees to be better classroom students.

Why classroom learning?

After ten years in the business, Sampson went back to study at the Culinary Institute of America.  He describes himself at this time as “a great technician.” The classroom education showed him the value of understanding the theory behind the practice, and it helped him grow from technician to chef. The theoretical learning opened up his ability to create his own recipes and flavor combinations and to develop his own style of cooking.

The whole package.

Sampson hopes to share with Dogwood apprentices the mix of hands-on learning and classroom study that he experienced. Because the model grows out of Sampson’s own experience and success, he believes in it passionately and teaches and mentors with great integrity and effectiveness.