Successful Hope Program celebrates 30 years with gala featuring fare from top restaurants
As a part of its 30th anniversary year celebrations, The HOPE Program (HOPE), a Brooklyn-based career development organization for disadvantaged New Yorkers, will host its annual “A Taste of HOPE” fundraiser on Tuesday, May 12 at 6 p.m. at the Prince George Ballroom in Manhattan. The event is expected to attract upwards of 300 people, including local luminaries and politicians.
The HOPE Program’s signature evening of tastes, toasts and transformations brings guests a night of inspiration and fun while indulging in award-winning food and beverages provided by 38 local New York City businesses. This year’s restaurants and food vendor roster includes Neuman’s Kitchen, Shake Shack, Four & Twenty Blackbirds, Jimmy’s No. 43, Financier and Chickpea & Olive, to name a few.
Many of these event participants also employ numerous HOPE students and graduates at their businesses after they complete HOPE’s innovative FOODworks program, launched in 2010. FOODworks prepares jobseekers for careers in the growing food industry through a combination of classroom instruction and real-life application. The program has remained strong as indicated by a 77 percent placement rate and 91 percent 90-day retention for the 2013 cohort.