Food Bank of Delaware recognizes Sussex Community Corrections as Partner of the Year

April 30, 2015

Partner of the Year: Sussex Community Corrections Center

Enjoy our last spotlight on our honorees of the year! Sussex Community Corrections was honored at our Annual Dinner on April 16!

In order to submit a grant for The Culinary School in 2014, the Food Bank of Delaware needed to identify community partners that were willing to collaborate in order for us to provide culinary training to at-risk populations.

One of the first partners to step up and commit to the training opportunity was the Sussex Community Corrections’ Sussex Work Release Center (SWRC). Under the leadership of Warden William Oettel, the SWRC “is a transition program for offenders preparing to live in the community full-time.” The desire to partner with the SWRC grew out of a recognition that there was a need to better serve those transitioning out of the criminal justice system.

The program at SWRC offers a variety of opportunities for offenders to work, both on property or with private employers in the community. The partnership with the Food Bank of Delaware represents the first culinary arts training program held off the SWRC site in Georgetown. Currently, the program is progressing well in the fi rst class with graduation scheduled for the May 8, 2015.

At the present, there are nine offenders from SWRC that are participating in the course and all nine are currently placed in internships at restaurants across Kent and Sussex counties.

The Food Bank of Delaware thanks the Sussex Community Corrections Center for its committment to workforce development in Delaware!