Veteran cooks up success after culinary program

During the seven months Jason Jenkins was homeless, he didn’t want to be a burden to the friends who let him stay on their couches. So, when the 37-year-old cooked something in his friends’ homes, the meal had to be cheap and easy.

 “I mostly cooked pasta, pasta and more pasta,” Jenkins said. “I loved to cook, but I didn’t want to dirty up their dishes or be in someone else’s space. But, pasta is simple and relatively cheap. By adding different sauces, you can make completely different tasting meals. And, I didn’t have a lot of money.”

After six years in the U.S. Army that included tours in Germany, Hungary and Bosnia, the veteran struggled to hold a job and residence, which led to his becoming homeless.

Today, Jenkins doesn’t worry about the price tag of the food he prepares, or where he’s cooking it. He traded generic brands of boxed pasta for seafood and grilled foods. Last month, he received a full-time position as a line cook at the Sandhill Grill, located inside the clubhouse of The Players Club Prestancia in Sarasota.

The job helped him secure a home with a kitchen of its own.

Jenkins is the first member of the Vets 2 Chefs program, based out of the Culinary Innovation Lab on Lakewood Ranch Main Street, to receive a full-time job at a local restaurant.

Jenkins heard about the program from representatives at the Jewish Family and Children’s Services of the Suncoast Inc. (JFCS).

“I felt like I didn’t know what was next,” Jenkins said. “I was wishing I had stayed in the military and still do sometimes. But, I was having a hard time readjusting. I needed direction.”

Vets 2 Chefs is a program designed to help military veterans find jobs. The founder of the program, Bryan Jacobs, who is also a University of South Florida Sarasota-Manatee student, and Jenkins met through the program last year.

“I’m really proud of the veterans who go through the program,” Jacobs said. “It teaches them valuable skills to help them re enter the work force.”

Learning to make homemade Hollandaise sauce and soups and how to properly clean and cut the contents of a salad are Vets 2 Chefs tools Jenkins believes helped him obtain his full-time job.

The recommendation from Jacobs to Prestancia managers didn’t hurt either, Jenkins added.

“I learned a lot more about cooking, yes,” Jenkins said. “But, I also learned about cleaning techniques and being confident in my skills. Chef Bryan was an inspiration to me; he didn’t try to break us down, he helped me.”

Next course

Jenkins works 30 to 40 hours per week at Prestancia and also works part time at a local Applebee’s to afford about $400 for his portion of rent at the East County apartment he shares with a roommate.

Jenkins is involved with the JFCS’ Operation Military Assistance Program that links veterans to local resources, such as Vets 2 Chefs, and helps them find homes in the area.

JFCS paid the security deposit and other fees associated with the apartment Jenkins moved into a few months ago.

But, he pays monthly rent, along with his cell phone bill, and half of his water and electric bills.

He doesn’t have a car, and often gets a ride to work from friends or rides his bike to the country club.

Transportation is an important item on his list of to-dos; he plans to own his own vehicle in the future, he added.

Overall, his outlook is improving since he got his full-time cooking job and working toward self-sufficiency, he said, smiling.

He works six days a week cooking in someone else’s kitchen.

And, he’s happy about it. In fact, he finds days off to be almost as stressful as his days in the kitchen.

 “If I have a day off, I don’t know what to do,” Jenkins said. “I’m enjoying what I’m doing right now. Things are getting better.”

Contact Amanda Sebastiano at [email protected].