Happy Holidays From Primed & Prepped!

Here's to a Joyful Holiday Season from Primed & Prepped!

Chef Berlin and Kelly Armstrong, Program Director/Founder, flanked by P&P students.

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Members of Primed & Prepped were also on hand to help decorate the tree.

Gina Former, Bayview Y Executive Director, and Michael Kirtman, Facilities Manager, also helped trim the tree!

 Holiday Dinner with Man Kim

P&P celebrated their Holiday Dinner at the Golden Gate Grill owned by Man J. Kim. He is behind other Union Square restaurants like Lori's Diner and Sears Fine Food.

   P&P student,  Chef Berlin, Man Kim, Businessman/Restauranteur,  Kelly Armstrong, Jeong Kim, Man Kim's Wife, and P&P students.

Man Kim spoke to the students sharing his humble beginnings. He enforced getting a good education, having a good work ethic, and integrity. P&P students were totally immersed in his every word, and they all had questions to ask. It was exciting to hear!

Man Kim was so gracious inviting the students to dinner, allowing them to order whatever they wanted.

  "Prepping for Success"

 Many thanks to Audrey Perott, Associate Director of Outreach provided thought-provoking financial literacy training that had the young men rethinking how they will use and spend their money. To learn more about what they learned, read the article "Prepping for Success."

P&P was challenged to explore the difference between needs and wants, and it was an exciting conversation!

  From the Garden of Farmers to the Produce Market

Greenleaf Produce Market opened its doors after hours to tour Primed & Prepped students. The young men were fascinated by all the different fruits and vegetables that the host, Georgette Nelson, Inside Sales Representative, introduced and allowed them to sample. Chef Berlin was on hand to explain a few things as well. Then, Georgette sent the young men back to the Y's Kitchen with some excellent treats they prepared the following day. Roasted Broccoli Romadesco was on the menu!

 Georgette Nelson was in her element explaining how Greenleaf operates on a day-to-day basis.

 P&P student admiring the delicious looking tomatoes

Strawberries!

 P&P was amazed at how cold the facilities were but understood their importance for the fruits and vegetables!

Surprise! Surprise from the InterContinental, the hotel of President Obama! 

Casey Neuburger, Director of Human Resources, invited Primed & Prepped to the InterContinental Hotel to meet with some handpicked staff members of color to share their career pathways in the Hospitality Industry!

 On hand was Nathan Jerome, Asst. Director of Finance & Accounting, Casey Neuburger, Director of Human Resources, Jared Lamb, Engineer, and Ulysses Skyes, Conference Services Manager.

Tonita Thomas, Senior Corporate Sales Manager, was also on board to share how she started as an  Office Assistant and worked her way up the Corporate Ladder!

Left front, Judy Lepe, P&P Volunteer, Kelly Armstrong, P&P students, Nathan Jerome, Associate Director of Finance, Jared, Engineer, Casey Neuburger, Director of Human Resources, and Michael Kirtman, Y Facilities Manager.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

We seek interested young men 15-17 years of age to participate in this exciting program that lives in the 94124 & 94134 zip codes. 

Please contact Kelly Armstrong at the Bayview YMCA (415) 822-7728 or email karmstrong@ymcasf.org.

 

 

PRIMED & PREPPED GETTING BUSY!

Primed & Prepped has kept the young men busy in the kitchen, teaching the importance of healthy eating and cooking.

 P&P students take a moment to smile for the camera. 

Even though one student had an injured hand, he was determined to help out, and he did a fantastic job!

Chef Berlin makes sure that all the students have something to do, even if it means watching him.

Ravon Ellington, Kitchen Manager, doesn't hesitate to help out where it's needed, and he makes sure that the young men do the same.

 Primed & Prepped gets a confidence boost when they see their food enjoyed.

 Yummy!Yummy! Shrimp Dish with Hot Maderas Curry

This Garden of Eden vegetable pasta was everyone's favorite dish!

 Chef B loves being in the kitchen with P&P students as he revels in their food preparation success!



We seek interested young men 15-17 years of age to participate in this exciting program that lives in the 94124 & 94134 zip codes. 

Please contact Kelly Armstrong at the Bayview YMCA (415) 822-7728 or email karmstrong@ymcasf.org.

 

INTRODUCING CHEF BERLIN

Bayview YMCA's Primed & Prepped Instructor, Chef Berlin Lillard II, is the latest addition to the team. He comes with a background suited for the young men of color he will be leading into the exciting Hospitality and Culinary Arts world.

Berlin grew up in Danville, Illinois, a small city about one and half hours south of Chicago. He's always had a love for food. At the age of 5, he would assist his parents with prepping for lunch and dinner by peeling the root vegetables he pulled from the family garden. He has worked as a dishwasher, short-order cook, and shift supervisor while in high school. After graduation, he attended Alabama State University in Montgomery, Alabama (ASU). While in college, he worked as a manager for various quick-service restaurants.

The second semester of his junior year at ASU, Berlin transferred to Southern Illinois University at Carbondale and obtained his B.S. in Hotel Restaurant Management & Travel Administration in 1997. While in Carbondale, he worked at Bistro 51, a fine dining restaurant owned by Chef Bill Pharris. Because of  Berlin's ability to create dishes extemporaneously, Pharris suggested he consider going to the California Culinary Academy Le Cordon Bleu in San Francisco. It was here that he discovered his love and talent for catering. He graduated with a Culinary Arts Associates Degree in 2000.

Berlin also works with the American Heart Association teaching youth and the community how to cook/eat healthy to help reduce the chances of stroke, heart attack, diabetes, and obesity. He is married with two young children, ages 5 & 7.

The students eagerly awaited instructions on how to use their knives. You could hear a pin drop as they listened carefully to every word.

Amazing how quickly they learn especially having an instructor like Chef Berlin who attentively watches and directs every move.

 

PRESTO! This is what came from all that hard work. New York Roast on french baguette with hoisin and plum dragon sauce topped with diced tomatoes and cilantro complemented by couscous with golden raisins.

Cleaning is part of being in the kitchen, and the students embraced it without hesitation. They have fun taking turns washing the dishes, sweeping the floor, and whatever else it takes to have a clean kitchen.

Primed & Prepped prepared a meal for "Parent Night" hosted by  Betty Sells-Asberry, Teen Services Director @ the YMCA. The recipe was: Champagne chicken wings, Chinese long beans, tree oyster & shitake mushrooms, and red bottom mashed potatoes with sweet Thai basil and elephant garlic.

GREAT JOB PRIMED & PREPPED!

Primed & Prepped: A Hospitality Management/Culinary Arts Mentoring and Job Training Program (P&P) is a 10-week personal development training curriculum geared toward young men of color ages 15-17. The program's goal is to provide students with the skills and tools to mitigate barriers to their employment by teaching self-sufficiency through entrepreneurship.

We are seeking interested young men to participate in this exciting program in the 94124 & 94134 zip codes. 

Please contact Kelly Armstrong at the Bayview YMCA (415) 822-7728 or karmstrong@ymcasf.org.