
Steve
Steve and his wife were living and working in Lynn when the bank foreclosed on their house. They sought out emergency housing and were placed in Holyoke, a four-hour commute to his job of ten years. With no luck finding a job closer to home, his case worker referred him to iCater. Working with iCater’s employment and stabilization specialists while being employed in the iCater main kitchen, Steve developed resources for both job hunting and building confidence. After working in the iCater main kitchen, Steve moved up to work with the staff café, learning customer service skills in a restaurant-like setting. Steve’s time with iCater ended with his graduation from the program. He secured a permanent position with Hebrew SeniorLife as a second cook and is appreciative of the experiences he’s had with iCater. “Finding a team of people who get as much joy seeing you succeed as you do… to see they’re just as enthused and excited as I am about stepping into my new career as I am or my wife is… that says a lot about the character of people that are here,” Steve says. “You have this team of people behind you that aren’t just doing it because it’s their job. They’re doing it because they care. They want to see you succeed and be just as happy as you are.”