RICHLAND, Wash. – For some, pursuing professional development may be a great opportunity to take the next step in their careers. For others, it may change the trajectory of their whole lives.
At Washington State University Tri-Cities, the Cougar Tracks program is designed specifically to meet the professional development needs of industry for the region. Courses are geared toward various employment levels and are offered online and on-demand, making it easy for individuals to enhance their professional skills at their own pace. Local businesses also frequently utilize the courses as onboarding tools, or to upskill and reskill their workforce.
“As a land grant university, it is WSU Tri-Cities’ mission to support the local population with educational solutions, programming that is credit and non-credit,” said Michelle Hrycauk Nassif, director of Cougar Tracks. “We are really providing the pathway for the region to advance professionally and to increase economic growth and sustainability with our partners.”
In a diverse and fast-growing region like the Tri-Cities, the need for professional growth is not limited to a singular industry or organization, and WSU Tri-Cities continues to seek new partners that can benefit from Cougar Tracks’ course offerings. One of those partners is Grace Kitchen.
Building a community
Located in downtown Pasco, Grace Kitchen serves the Tri-Cities by providing sanctuary employment and resources that help women exit trafficking, addiction, incarceration, homelessness, and poverty.
Grace Kitchen houses a catering company that serves local businesses, and they also make homemade artisan pasta and BBQ rubs that are sold online and in stores. Each product from Grace Kitchen is crafted by the women they serve in exchange for professional development opportunities, living wages, a supportive community, and a fresh start.
Partnering with the Department of Corrections and several other nonprofit organizations in the region, the women who come through the doors of Grace Kitchen are immediately greeted by trauma informed mentors, who then spend several hours getting to know them and help them feel comfortable in the program.
Grace Kitchen was founded by Amanda Lorraine, who was inspired by her own story of escaping poverty and addiction. “In my twenties, I started having a lot of people walk alongside me, investing time in me and mentoring me and I got out,” she said. “When I moved here in 2014, I knew I wanted to continue to walk alongside women who had similar stories as my own.”
After spending several years volunteering with similar organizations, Lorraine noticed that the same women would frequently return in need of assistance, unable to escape their destructive cycles, so she began to put her own dreams into action.
“I started dreaming and praying about what it would look like to start a sanctuary work program, because what I realized is that these women are incredibly isolated, they are pushed to the margins of our society, and they’ve missed so many opportunities in their life. They needed this sanctuary workplace where they can come just as they are, right out of addiction, into clean and sober living, and they can have a safe place to grow and to learn to work and communicate, build community. That’s what Grace Kitchen is all about. It’s a sisterhood for life,” she said.
A partnership to cultivate service excellence
With professional development as a cornerstone of Grace Kitchen’s philosophy, a partnership was formed with Cougar Tracks to enroll some of their employees in the Cultivating Service Excellence (CSE) course. Covering a variety of topics associated with professionalism, personal accountability, and effective customer service, the course equips employees from any industry with knowledge and skills to grow and succeed in the workplace.
Sixteen women participated in the first Grace Kitchen cohort, learning valuable tools they can apply to their current roles and carry with them after graduating from the Grace Kitchen program. Many of them recalled that they learned the importance of first impressions through body language, facial expressions, and vocal tone when interacting with customers and donors.
“I feel more confident in helping customers when they come in. I can still be myself but now I'm more mindful of how I would want to be treated,” one employee explained.
Other women connected what they learned with how they communicate with fellow employees and were reminded of skills they had learned in previous employment experiences.
“[The courses] are a really valuable tool that they are going to be able to put into their toolbox when they graduate the Grace Kitchen program and move into their next career. It’s a lightbulb moment for them, and it is truly foundational,” Lorraine said.
Scholarships for professional growth
Enrolling in the CSE course with Cougar Tracks costs approximately $250 per person, which can add up quickly for an organization like Grace Kitchen, which relies on donations and grants for 75% of their annual operating budget. Fortunately, the employees were funded through scholarships provided by Visit Tri-Cities, created in partnership with the cities of Pasco, Richland, and Kennewick to enhance professional growth in the community.
Hector Cruz, vice president of development and community engagement at Visit Tri-Cities, explained that the scholarships are crucial in funding opportunities for small businesses to retain their employees.
“Our local businesses need as many resources as they can get, and this program really going to help them keep those employees, stay open, and help them get more revenue,” he said.
Continuing to collaborate
Grace Kitchen is setting the bar for what is possible in collaboration with WSU Tri-Cities, and plans are already in the works to continue educating women in need. A workshop based on the CSE course is being planned and will soon be available for Grace Kitchen employees so the women will have opportunities to further apply what they learned in group exercises and discussions.
Hrycauk Nassif emphasized that the passion and dedication shown by the employees of Grace Kitchen exemplified the profound impact of both organizations’ shared mission of community success.
“At WSU Tri-Cities, we see firsthand how empowering women through education and skill-building can ignite lasting change,” she said. “Within the Tri-Cities community, the Cougar Pride is so strong- once a Coug always a Coug. Now those women are in that community, when they may not have otherwise had that opportunity.”
There are currently ten Cougar Tracks courses available for individuals to enroll in, covering a range of subjects. For more information about the Cougar Tracks course offerings, visit https://tricities.wsu.edu/continuing-education/.
To learn more about Grace Kitchen, visit https://grace.kitchen/.