W.H. Bender & Associates Gives Back to Local Community During Second Annual FIT™ Day Event
On October 27, W.H. Bender & Associates’s Founder, William H. Bender, FCSI volunteered at the California Restaurant Association Education Foundation’s 2015 FIT™ Day at Pacific Grove High School. Industry volunteers arrived in 56 high school culinary classrooms across California to teach Force In Training™ and share personal anecdotes on topics such as professionalism, teamwork, workplace communication and leadership skills to more than 2,925 students.
Force In Training™ has Three Modules. Land It!, Work It! & Lead It!
With our support, we helped to change the lives of at-risk students with our efforts both inside and outside of the classroom. It was an honor to participate in this unprecedented, coordinated opportunity for restaurant brands to unite in giving back to their communities across the state.
Developed in partnership with leading California-based restaurant brands to address a critical and growing need amongst the industry’s emerging workforce, FIT Day is the first annual event aimed at providing real-world skills and insights into what it takes to succeed in the restaurant industry.
FIT™ was presented in the Pacific Grove HS Library.
Theodore Balestreri II of Cannery Row Company & Jennifer Erickson, Culinary Arts & ProStart Instructor at Pacific Grove High School.
Bender partnered with fellow CRAEF Board Member Theodore Balestreri II of The Cannery Row Company of Monterey, California to present the FIT program to the Culinary Arts ProStart class of Instructor Jennifer Erickson of Pacific Grove HS. This program is a part of ProStart, a program through CRAEF that provides industry-driven culinary arts and hospitality management career-exploration programs for high school students. The second annual FIT™ Day represents a new and exciting way to further inspire the lives of budding talent.
Theodore Balestreri II teaches Job Interview skills.
Mock Interview conducted with ProStart Student.
“My Foodservice Teacher Laurine Mennell at Montgomery High School, Rockville, Maryland was a fantastic mentor, so I’m very happy to Pay It Forward to our California ProStart Students. CRAEF and FIT™ are teaching students Skills For Life #Skill4Life” explained Bender.
Theodore Balestreri II shares experience with a Student.
The CRAEF does tremendous work in support of California’s at-risk high school students. This non-profit provides scholarships, internship opportunities, curriculum and much more to students who are passionate about the restaurant industry.
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