ST. LOUIS — On a Saturday afternoon in the Central West End, a group of women are learning, chopping, and connecting.
It is a cooking class hosted by Welcome Neighbor STL’s Supper Club at STL Foodworks.
The local nonprofit works to support refugee families and foster a community where immigrants flourish as friends and neighbors.
They carry out this mission in the kitchen. Refugee chefs cook the food of their home countries at dinners, festivals, cooking classes, and drive-thru events.
On the menu today is ouzi rice with vegetables paired with hummus. It’s an authentic Syrian recipe taught by Chef Mawda Altayan.
After coming to St. Louis from Syria in 2016 as a refugee, Mawda helped launch the Welcome Neighbor Supper Club program as their first chef.
"I'm a mom of four kids, and when I came here, it was very difficult for me to stand up and start from like zero with no language, no family, and no support," Altayan said.
Mawda’s struggle is similar to what many refugees experience when they are thrust from their homes and forced to rebuild a new life in an unfamiliar place.
"But with the community support, they give me the support and the power to stand up and start from zero," she said.
Welcome Neighbor’s Supper Club helps to ease that transition. Program coordinator Zohra Sabir says they offer refugees a way to share their culture with their new community while providing certifications and employment.
"We have chefs from Syria, from India, from Afghanistan, and we are trying to get them involved in our Supper Club. First, by helping them take the ServSafe cooking classes. And after that, they can start working and cooking for big groups of people. And they can get involved in our cooking classes," Sabir said.
And for Mawda, what started as a cooking class with her new neighbors turned into a business of her own. This mother and entrepreneur owns Damascus Food LLC. It is a catering company that can serve events with up to 250 people.
"They helped me a lot, and they support me to start my business. And this is why I'm here now and why Damascus Food is here, and now I'm a business owner. And I'm very grateful to be here. And I'm very, very happy," Altayan said.
A cooking class with Welcome Neighbor is a place to learn, a place to connect, but also a place to meet a new friend.
Because after all, nothing brings us together quite like food.
Welcome Neighbor STL has a calendar full of events coming up and they are always looking for volunteers. You can find more information by visiting welcomeneighborstl.org or following along on social.
To book Damascus Food LLC for your next event, visit their Facebook or call (314) 285-4634.
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