Fellowship Program

Just Soul Catering Fellowship Program

The Just Soul Catering Fellowship program model is designed to teach and give hands-on experience to formerly incarcerated women coming home from prison. Our focus is to make everyone’s journey a success story and so we are sensitive to the individual learning styles of our participants.

This paid fellowship is an elective of Reentry Rocks with a goal of helping women become financially independent while learning communication skills, entrepreneurial skills, food handling skills and more. Executive Director and CEO Sharon Richardson is passionate about helping formerly incarcerated women achieve financial independence. Through her own journey and experience, Sharon has passionately developed a program that will help women find the confidence and success that she has found through Just Soul Catering.  The Reentry Rocks Fellowship Program is divided into three different phases where various levels of intensive training take place to support formerly incarcerated women in starting a for-profit business or a 501c3.

On our new zoom platform participants can look forward to the following:

  • Interactive classes that are aimed to challenge and to teach new skills and techniques

  • One-to-one support

  • Committed instructors

  • Opportunities to engage with classmates remotely

Topics will include:

  • The importance of financial literacy

  • Workplace readiness

  • Professionalism and customer service

  • Conducting the first client interview

  • Interactive food service and cooking instruction

  • Contracting with clients and vendors

  • Event insurance and liability

  • Legal operations

  • Resume and business plan writing

  • Pitching your business

  • Food safety regulations

  • The importance of developing a strong team

Phase I - The Internship

This paid internship is an elective of Reentry Rocks with a goal of helping women become financially independent while learning communication skills, entrepreneurial skills, food handling skills, job readiness skills, personal and business financial competency and literacy, and more.

We’ll cover the important business considerations involved in running an event-based catering business, such as financial management, business planning, marketing, and staff considerations all during the Covid-19 global pandemic!

Our goal is to also help participants develop good work habits that facilitate their ongoing success. Coursework will typically include lectures, discussions and role-playing exercises.

Successful graduates can look forward to case management, mental health support, access to immediate opportunities to work with Just Soul Catering, subsidized NYS Food Handling Certification, support with technology, and the list goes on!

Phase II - The Business Incubator

Graduates of the Internship Program can be chosen and approved to participate in phase II of the Fellowship Program: The Business Incubator.

Applicants can also be chosen from the community based on demonstrated business acuity, and therefore can be waived from the Reentry Rocks Internship prerequisite. This form of acceptance is done on a case by case basis.

The primary purpose of Phase II is to have formerly incarcerated women take their business ideas and transform them into nonprofit organizations or for-profit entities. As a fellow enrolled in this business incubator, participants will learn the necessary steps needed to develop, launch and sustain their own entrepreneurial enterprise.

Phase III - Understanding Tax Law

Upon completion of Phase II, a fellow will then move on to Phase III: Understanding Tax Law. Participants enrolled in Phase III will learn and examine all tax benefits, fees, laws, liabilities, and compliances necessary for operating a not-for-profit as well as a for profit business. They will also cover other income-driven activities outside of the scope of business.

Alumna

Participants of any Reentry Rocks program, at any phase, will always remain an alumna. The benefits to being a Reentry Rocks alumna include:

  • Endless and Lifetime Support - Reentry Rocks will always be a support and tool for advancing your professional life.

  • Resume building, basic computer literacy and referral services.

  • Counseling Services (Domestic Violence, Mental Health, Understanding Your Anger, Creative Arts and more.)

  • Although Reentry Rocks’ Mentorship program is still being developed we look forward to our participants becoming one in their future.