Local Culinary Program Teaching How To 'Cook For A Better Life'

NORTH PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- There's a kitchen in North Philadelphia where men and women are learning to adjust their perspectives on what they can accomplish, and they are cooking for a better life.

"If you don't find out what is stopping you from moving forward, you tend to still be lost," says culinary student Georgia Jones. "So I only have one path, to keep moving forward and no longer backwards."

The Philabundance Community Kitchen is a 14-week culinary program for low-income adults. It has an 81 percent job placement rate in the food service industry, and it provides 500 hours of culinary arts training.

But in this course you do more than sear, tie, and saute, you learn taking a good look at yourself serves as the technique that can forever change your life.

"We spend a lot of time in getting the students to understand who they are, how they look at the world, and how the world looks at them. We don't deal with truth here, we deal with perspective," said Philabundance Dean and Life Coach Shontae Graham. "The truth is what it is, but perspective is what is going to help you and motivate you to get you where you want to be."

A change in perspective is what led Michael Coleman to the PCK program after hanging with the wrong crowd got him incarcerated at 17. PCK shifted his direction and his attitude.

"It gave me the overall grounding that I needed to basically let go of the hurt that I was feeling and do something more positive in my life," said Coleman.

Philabundance Community Kitchen has produced over 4 million meals for the hungry while simultaneously helping 700 graduates enter the work force.

If you or someone you know may be interested in joining the program, PCK is hosting an open house on Wednesday.

For more information, visit www.Philabundance.Org.