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ONE STRIKE Youth Turn Service Into Skills Through Early Roots Kitchen
Youth from ONE STRIKE are gaining hands-on culinary experience through THRIVE ON!'s YOUTH Force track while helping prepare meals for residents experiencing housing instability.
1 de abril de 2026
Cultivating Leadership Through Food
On March 2, three youth from ONE STRIKE joined the Early Roots Kitchen through THRIVE ON!'s YOUTH Force track, bringing their energy, commitment, and willingness to learn into one of the organization's most impactful community initiatives. Each Monday afternoon, the youth work alongside staff and mentors to prepare meals for residents of the Kingston Motel, many of whom are living there while navigating the transition between housing situations.
Through this experience, participants gain exposure to culinary arts, food safety practices, teamwork, and community service while contributing to a program that provides consistent, nourishing meals to neighbors in need.
Building Skills While Serving Community
The youth play an active role in every stage of the meal preparation process. From ingredient preparation and cooking to portioning and packaging, they help ensure meals are ready to be distributed to Kingston Motel residents each week.
In addition to their hands-on kitchen experience, all three participants successfully completed their ServSafe Food Handler Certification, equipping them with industry-recognized food safety knowledge and credentials. The certification represents an important milestone in their professional development and provides a foundation for future opportunities in food service, hospitality, and related fields.
"Early Roots Kitchen is about much more than preparing meals," said Candace Lindenlauf, Early Thriver Program Director and Vice President of THRIVE ON!. “It's about creating opportunities for young people to build skills, gain confidence, and see how their work can positively impact others. These youth have embraced that responsibility and have become valued members of the team. And they are walking away with skills that will serve them throughout their lives and a certification that will benefit their professional journeys."
Growing Through Service
The youth's involvement in Early Roots Kitchen reflects the mission of THRIVE ON!'s YOUTH Force track: connecting young people to meaningful service projects that address real community needs while helping them build employable life skills.
By participating in meal preparation for Kingston Motel residents, the youth are developing practical workforce skills while contributing to a program that supports individuals and families experiencing housing instability. Through ingredient preparation, cooking, packaging, and food safety training, they are gaining hands-on experience that extends beyond the kitchen.
As they continue their journey in Early Roots Kitchen, participants are strengthening skills in accountability, collaboration, communication, and problem-solving while expanding their network of mentors and opportunities. Their work demonstrates how service-learning experiences can help young people discover their strengths while making a tangible difference in the lives of others.
About ONE STRIKE
ONE STRIKE is a grassroots initiative dedicated to pop-up youth and family programs, creating opportunities for connection, creativity, and resilience in community spaces.
About THRIVE ON!
THRIVE ON! is a youth-driven nonprofit based in Kingston, NY. Through its Early Thrivers program and Rootwork incubator, THRIVE ON! equips young people and grassroots leaders to design, build, and lead the solutions their communities need.