Cooking Up Success: JFS Launches Food Business Training with Support from Bank of America

At Jewish Family Services of Washtenaw County (JFS), food is more than a meal — it’s a mission. With support from the Bank of America Charitable Foundation, we launched a pilot food business training program aimed at helping local entrepreneurs—especially immigrants and underserved community members—build their futures in the food industry.

Our original goal was to train 10 participants per quarter through intensive, hands-on workshops. But the program quickly gained traction.

In our first (English-speaking) session, we trained 5 participants—3 of whom passed the ServSafe Manager exam and are now fully certified. While two did not pass, they received valuable business and food safety training and plan to retest. The real growth came with our second (Spanish-speaking) session. Thanks to word of mouth and community demand, we enrolled 18 participants — and all 18 passed. That’s 18 new certified food entrepreneurs now equipped to safely serve in Washtenaw County.
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The weeklong incubator includes:

• Financial literacy training, delivered by Bank of America’s Hassan Elsayed
• ServSafe certification training, led by Union Food Group
• Food safety planning, facilitated by Dainna Raye of the Washtenaw County Health Department
• Business development coaching, provided by JFS through federal Microenterprise Development (MED) funds

This initiative is part of our larger MED program, which helps refugees and underrepresented community members overcome language barriers, cultural adjustment, and trauma by providing entrepreneurial tools to build long-term financial independence.
With each cohort, we’re not just serving up skills — we’re cultivating confidence, culture, and community impact. From 5 to 18 participants in just one quarter, the demand tells the story. We're growing a movement, one meal — and one entrepreneur — at a time.

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