YORK COUNTY, Maine — You read that correctly! I’m not at a bakery, restaurant, or local shop, but at the York County Jail. This was (luckily) a first for me, inspired by York County Sheriff William King’s innovative idea.
The jail collaborates with Aramark for a program called In2Work, which helps jail residents get back on their feet after release.
But how does this tie into coffee cake?
The residents learn essential kitchen skills like cooking, baking, and food safety, earning certifications such as ServSafe. Having worked in the restaurant industry myself, I can attest that being ServSafe certified is incredibly valuable. It takes dedication to earn that certification—it's a significant step forward.
Now, let’s dive into the baking process. Overall, it was surprisingly simple—like making a boxed coffee cake, just on a much larger scale!
I started by working with Molly O'Connor, the food service director for Aramark at the York County Jail. She teaches the residents vital kitchen skills, but it’s about more than just cooking; it’s about helping them get their lives back on track.
"Sometimes people get to get better in the conventional way, and for some people, it's more unconventional, like unfortunately being a resident here. People take that, and learn from that, and learn to grow," O'Connor said.
Next, I met Donald Stewart, one of the residents and the primary baker. He guided me through the coffee cake process—mixing ingredients, pouring the batter, adding the crumble, and baking it. Seriously, it felt just like making a boxed coffee cake!
Don shared that baking is a highlight of his day. It breaks up the monotony of the day-to-day living.
"It's relaxing, it takes the stress out of the day," he said.
He also finds it rewarding to feed 260 people daily. That means the jail doesn't need to hire someone else with taxpayer money. It's great for everyone.
We took our coffee cake over to the gym to chat with In2Work Program Manager Belinda Peterson about the program. Don joined us along with fellow residents Andrew Hanson and David Gibson.
Peterson emphasized the importance of ServSafe certification. It’s required anywhere food is served, so having it gives these individuals an edge when they’re released. More than that, she said, it instills hope.
"Hope is important. Hope is something that they don't get, and when you don't have hope, you're going to keep doing the same thing over and over and over again. That's what we want to stop. We want to stop them from coming back," Peterson said.
A huge thank you to everyone at the York County Jail, Aramark, and especially the residents I had the pleasure of working with that day. I genuinely enjoyed my time with such kind people, and I hope to see them cooking in some of my favorite restaurants soon!