Church Of The Ascension To Host Pop-Up Kitchen Benefit For Providence House

EDWINS Leadership & Restaurant Institute, nationally acclaimed for its prison re-entry program, will bring its celebrated French cuisine to Lakewood to benefit Providence House, one of the nation’s longest operating crisis nurseries. A West Side Pop-up Kitchen will be held Sunday, June 12 at 5 p.m. at the Church of the Ascension, 13216 Detroit Ave. in Lakewood.

Providence House is one of just 70 in operation in the U.S. and Canada today offering emergency shelter and care to children who are actively at risk for abuse and neglect due to family crisis. More than a shelter for at-risk children, the agency offers holistic services for children and their families including education, mentoring, case management and aftercare focused on family preservation. It is Ohio’s only voluntary Crisis Intervention and Family Preservation Program that offers a comprehensive, integrated model of crisis care, designed to bring positive, permanent change, filled with help and hope for a safe, stable, and self-sufficient future for parents and their children.

EDWINS Leadership & Restaurant Institute is a proven successful mix of award-winning French cuisine, and top-tier table service combined with a unique and revolutionary social cause. EDWINS is the only white tablecloth restaurant in the country whose staff consists entirely of formerly incarcerated men and women in both the kitchen and the front of house.

Envisioned and established by Brandon Chrostowski in 2007, the organization is a 501(c)(3) non-profit whose mission is to give formerly incarcerated individuals a foundation in the hospitality industry, while providing a support network necessary for successful re-entry to life outside of prison. Individuals are not only equipped with basic culinary skills, but are also assisted with finding employment, housing, basic medical care, clothing, job-coaching and literacy programs. The restaurant opened in Cleveland’s Shaker Square neighborhood in 2013.

The event is EDWINS’ first on Cleveland’s West Side. Roger Barnhard, a Church of the Ascension parishioner and Community Outreach Development Officer for Providence House, suggested the church as a location and says Brandon was impressed by its commercial kitchen, dining area and beautiful building and worship space. Messages on banners and posters at the church such as “A place of worship for all people” and “God loves you. No exceptions.” also resonated with the EDWINS mission.

The West Side Pop-up Kitchen will serve a five-course dinner, including beer and wine for $125 per person. A cash bar will be available for cocktails. There will be only one seating, and registration is available on a first-come basis at https://provhouse.thankyou4caring.org/edwns-pop-up-ktchen. For more information, call Providence House at 216.651.5982.

Corky Thacker is a parishioner and vestry member at Church of the Ascension, an Episcopal Church located at 13216 Detroit Avenue in Lakewood.