Sacramento's Black-owned Universoul Cafe expands food recovery and workforce training

Founded in 2019, Sacramento's Black-owned Universoul Cafe recovers surplus food and trains young people in culinary skills; last year it delivered 17,000 meals and recently received a $500,000 grant.

Universoul Cafe is a Black-owned food recovery organization in Sacramento that has operated since 2019. It combines surplus food recovery with a culinary workforce program for young people. A new cohort trains in Old Sacramento under founder and CEO Tonya Mack, and master chef Derris Mosley provides culinary instruction. The organization has continued its work despite a major theft at its Del Paso Heights warehouse. Key facts: - Universoul Cafe began operating in 2019 with a mission to improve access to food and lift the community. - The program runs a culinary training cohort in Old Sacramento led by CEO and founder Tonya Mack, with instruction from master chef Derris Mosley. - The program serves young people from marginalized communities and emphasizes workforce development. - Last summer a break-in at the Del Paso Heights warehouse resulted in more than $100,000 in stolen equipment, and members of the community raised funds to help the organization recover. - In the past year Universoul Cafe delivered 17,000 meals, recovered more than 300,000 pounds of surplus food, and created 42 jobs. - Universoul Cafe secured a $500,000 grant from First Five Sacramento and set up the grant account at Golden 1 Credit Union. Summary: Universoul Cafe's food recovery and workforce training have produced thousands of meals and helped create jobs while engaging young people in culinary training. Undetermined at this time.