It may come as a surprise to those who have never been inside a prison, but a lot of cooking happens inside, which is why the Community Change Center chose the food truck initiative to provide re-employment opportunities for those working in the justice system, reduce stigma, and serve delicious diner-style meals.
“The goal is to support positive relationships between justice-involved people and those who work in the justice system,” said Sam Burgett, executive director and founding member of the Center for Community Change, who is also one of two social workers for the Porter County Sheriff’s Office.
She met Raymond Powell, co-founder and director of the Community Change Center, while both were incarcerated at Westville Correctional Facility. The two came up with the idea for Fresh Starts Food Truck and are currently running a fundraising campaign to raise $30,000 by Aug. 6 to purchase the truck and wrap it with a matching grant from the Indiana Department of Housing and Community Development.
The Community Change Center hopes to gradually acquire Fresh Starts food trucks and one day open a brick-and-mortar restaurant. “This is the type of business that a lot of people in prison think about,” Powell said. “This is kind of the fastest path to entrepreneurship, to financial independence.”
He said prisoners put the shared microwaves to heavy use, cooking everything from peanut butter fudge to nacho platters. To save up some money for the commissary, he explained, the inmates provide meals with a full menu. “The microwaves get a lot of wear and tear, from boiling water to cooking an entire Thanksgiving meal,” he said of the microwaves.
When it opens, the first food truck will be based in the Porter County Jail parking lot, primarily serving prison staff, but will also provide meals near the county courthouse and probation office, as well as at community events and interested businesses.
And this time, cooks won’t have to microwave the food. The effort is looking for 10 area chefs to prepare diner-style dishes for an upcoming fundraiser. Participants can vote and help create the actual menu for the truck. “So that people can come, see the rehabilitation in progress and support this effort on a larger scale,” Burgett said.
She said the food truck will help alleviate an issue in the community trying to support people released from prison. “All of our clients are really excited about this initiative,” she said. “A lot of times, businesses don’t want to advertise that they’re hiring ex-inmates.”
Fresh Starts puts this mission at the forefront: “Hopefully we can employ a lot of people,” Powell says. “Hopefully we’ll be supported by the community, sustained by the community, and not criticized for having already paid our debt to society.”
“And it can be something as intimate as food going from hand to mouth. Talk about trust. Get involved in the community and earn that trust.”
Thank you for your help: The Fresh Start Specialty Menu Contest will be held on Saturday, July 27, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Living Hope Community Church, 1115 Calumet Ave. in Valparaiso. Tickets are $25. Bring cash and vote for your favorite dish to add to the food truck menu.
Shelley Jones is a Post-Tribune freelance reporter.
