Executive chef Paul Fields helping rebuild lives with culinary training program
NAPA -- An executive chef who's also a former San Quentin corrections officer and ironworker who helped build San Francisco's Oracle Park is now helping people rebuild their lives with culinary skills.
To understand why students give Paul Fields a hero's welcome, we step back to 2016 when the Salvation Army recruited him to launch a program making good use of the nonprofit's commercial kitchen in Napa.
"Once I started diving into the program, I realized this was the place I was supposed to be," said Fields.
At first, he thought he might be too busy with his own catering business, but he peeled back his initial reservations and started the Salvation Army Napa Valley Culinary Training Academy. The free 14-week hands-on program gives adults coming out of homelessness and substance abuse culinary skills, one-on-one mentoring, and housing.
"I'm giving them a chance to re-start, a fresh start," Fields said. "They're clean and sober now ... I give them a path to get them to the next step of success."
About 120 students have graduated so far from the full-time training academy. More than 90% have landed jobs, many of them, with Fields' and the Salvation Army's partners in the restaurant and hospitality industry. While they work, graduates get discounted housing for two years.
Jason Ramsey, who's been clean and sober for more than a year. now has the tools to pursue a career as a chef.
"This is an awesome opportunity to straighten my life out and have a great future," Ramsey said.
As part of their training, students also give back: they cook meals for more than 80 people a day at the Salvation Army.
"It feels great to feed people who are hungry, less fortunate," Ramsey added.
In addition, Fields also takes some graduates to work with him outside of the Bay Area. He prepares VIP dinners at Christian musician Zach Williams' concert tours for several months of the year. Fields also runs his own catering company, Fields of Grace.
While he stopped teaching at the culinary academy last fall, he still helps with publicity and support. And he still inspires students like Anthony Freeman. who used to be homeless.
"I haven't met him, but I'd like to tell him I love him very much for everything he's done in this program," said Freeman.
And on this day Freeman had that chance to meet his role model in person, give him a hug, and communicate that message.
So for serving up a second chance for people recovering from homelessness and substance abuse, this week's Jefferson Award in the Bay Area goes to Paul Fields.
