Jacques Pépin Foundation Partnership Circle Grant Recipient Stone Soup PDX in Portland, Oregon, helps adults overcome barriers to employment by building food-industry skills that support long-term stability, self-sufficiency, and everyday well-being.
To bridge the gap between workforce development and life skills training, Stone Soup PDX recently launched “Smart Cooks, Smart Choices,” a two-year initiative that teaches participants how to shop for, plan, and cook healthy, fresh meals at home while staying within a Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) budget. “Smart Cooks, Smart Choices” helps students apply their professional culinary training to everyday nourishment, using those skills not only to earn a paycheck but also to feed themselves and their families well despite economic hardship.
The program includes field trips to local grocery stores, where participants learn to compare prices, navigate store layouts, choose fresh ingredients over processed options, and stretch limited resources. In hands-on cooking labs, they practice preparing fresh, nutritious meals using a $2–$3 per-serving model. Stone Soup PDX will also create print and digital recipe collections featuring budget-friendly dishes, shopping tips, and practical home-cooking guidance.
The “Smart Cooks, Smart Choices” program adds a practical dimension to culinary education that complements traditional workforce training. As Workforce Development Month draws to a close, we celebrate Stone Soup PDX’s success in advancing their mission by helping graduates build the skills they need to work, cook, and thrive.