ServSafe@ Class every week / Summer 2012

The Center for faith-based and community learning located in Charlottesville, VA announces Food Safety class every Friday starting June 8,2012 through the last Friday in August. All Persons who register must still take at least two of the four hours session and the exam to complete the course. The big difference is in addition to the once a month all day classes offered at the Center for Non-Profit Excellence, the classes at Virginia Organizing building are in the evening from 5:00PM to 9:00PM. As stated at least eight hours are still require to complete the course with Chef Ralph Brown Sr, but you get to choose what day to start and finish. Also the good news is there are some scholarships available from the Monticello Area Community Action Agency (http://www.macaa.org/)  for low-income Charlottesville residents who qualify. Call Chef Brown for more details on scholarships & discounts, or just scroll to the bottom of this page and sign-up using a debit or credit card.

The Tom Tom Festival Winner /Sandra Carter/ Congratulations!

The Center for faith-based and community learning located in Charlottesville, Virginia presents a new start-up business, "Sandra Carter & Sixth Street Market Catering".Inspired by Sandra's sister who died of cancer before she could complete her dream. On pitch night at the Tom Tom Festival Sandra talked about her desire to fulfill her sister's vision by adding the catering business which would bring more food customers to their small store. Sandra is also in the twelve week CIC Micro loan financing program which will help her perfect her business plan. We look forward to growth of the new business and will watch their progress very closely. Thank you to the folk with the Tom Tom Festival for all of their support and encouragement. Congratulation's also to Sandra's daughter Shay (Quaneilia Carter) who graduated from PVCC last weekend, and has been accepted to Mary Baldwin College for a BA & Master's program.

Introducing "Chef Jennifer" our Chef of the Month!

The Center for faith-based and community learning located in Charlottesville, Virginia presents "Chef Jennifer", our "Chef of the Month". We recently met Chef Jennifer on facebook where we viewed some of the best photographs ever taken of a Chef in the workplace. She allowed a photographer to follow her around and photograph her in action, and what you get is the picture of someone who absolutely loves the kitchen, her people, and the Culinary Experience.

We wish her much success in her career, and pray that she will someday grace the big screen with all of her passion, charm, and beauty. Just like the presentation of a plate is of the utmost importance in fine dinning, the appearance of "the Chef" can also be a determining factor in where people eat, and how often they come back for the dinning experience. Good food does not stand alone, it must be prepared carefully by good hands. Jennifer's photographs and the joy she shows would even make me want to drive to New York for dinner. Check out her facebook page, "Jennifer Herrera" (Culinary Institute of New York),New York,NY!

Next ServSafe@ Class / Monday, April 9, 2012

The Center for faith-based and community learning located in Charlottesville, Virginia announces "best class ever" in March 2012. The class size keeps growing for our food safety class held at the Center for Non-Profit Excellence next to C-Ville Coffee. We will start the April class with four people who could not attend this month. So scroll to the bottom of this page and sign up early to get a seat. If you have questions please feel free to email or call Chef Ralph Brown Sr the Instructor/ Proctor. Contact him at 434-806-9762 or revrbrown@yahoo.com.

Terrie Sission / Top graduate / of all ServSafe Classes in 2011

The Center for faith-based and community learning located in Charlottesville, Virginia congratulates Chef Terrie Sission for being the top ServSafe@ Certification Graduate in 2011 with a perfect score on her exam in every category. Terrie teaches Culinary Arts and cooking classes at the Mona Lisa Pasta Place on Preston Avenue in downtown Charlottesville.

She contributed so much to the class after arriving late, and then promptly leaving to go get a cup of coffee from C-Ville Coffee next door. It was like let's not take all day,Ok, I mean let's just do this now. We really enjoyed her modesty but yet happy spirit making the class a "piece of cake"!

Holiday Inn- North / ServSafe@ Certified

The Center for faith-based and community learning located in Charlottesville, Virginia would like to thank Charles Friend, the Holiday Inn /General Manager and Executive Chef Nathaniel Garland for their commitment to excellence. Mr Friend supported Chef Garland's recent decision to train the entire food service staff in food safety starting with the re-certification of Chef Garland himself.

Chef Ralph Brown and crew look forward to the challenge in 2012 of training as many local restaurant and hotel workers as possible. There is a lot of growth scheduled to happen near this hotel,they are going to be twice as busy with all the new shops and stores going up across the street real soon.

New Culinary Arts Program Planned / PVCC

The Center for faith-based and community learning in Charlottesville, Va is happy to announce, Piedmont VA Community College really does plan to open a Culinary Arts Program.

This new program according to Chef Ralph Brown Sr who is one of the members of the planning committee, should open in Fall 2012 or Spring 2013. The building is also expected to be the new home of the African-American Heritage Center.

The new PVCC/ Culinary Arts Program will be located in the fully restored and completely remodeled Historic Jefferson School Building once renovations are complete. "We are expecting to have a million dollar state-of-the-arts commerical kitchen with studios and classroom capacity for live broadcasts" according to his sources.

This is a first for Charlottesville; prior to now there has been no place for Food Service workers to get formal training in the area from a fully Accredited Institution of Higher Learning.

We will keep you posted on the progress of this new program, and announce the exact opening date as soon as we know. Also, congratulations and thank you to Chef Brown for his service on this committee. Along with all of the dozen or more other Culinary Chefs, Educators, and businessmen who have join in this task.