for EK only

As a pan sizzles, grins and laughter fill the room. Young chefs chop carrots and thinly slice onions. Besides a meal, the students in this cooking class are preparing for job potential. The teacher, Kris Mill, owner of Wok This Way, operates Phoenix food trucks for a cause. Besides running a vegetarian and environmentally friendly business, she organizes a cooking class for people with Down syndrome. She wants to teach them to be independent, whether that is serving homemade meals or cooking their way into a restaurant job. “Everybody has strengths and we just have to look at each other’s strengths and put them to use,” she said. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 18 percent of people with disabilities were employed in 2017 com- pared with 65 percent of the abled population. With eyes on the job, Pheonix-area class teaches people with Down Syndrome to cook

P70 November 202 1 / HOSPITALITY NEWS