OUR VISION
Every individual has the opportunity to thrive in an equitable and just world.
OUR MISSION
FareStart transforms lives, disrupts poverty and nourishes communities through food, life skills and job training.
When people have jobs and food, everything else is possible.
We’re all about personal, economic and food stability. We feed people,
support them in gaining life and career skills, and help to find them jobs so they can thrive.
It starts with food but grows from there to create brighter futures and stronger communities.
HOW IT ALL BEGAN
Our James Beard Award-winning model for social change dates back to 1992. It started with an idea that we could help people gain the job and self-empowerment skills needed to move out of poverty while also feeding the community and generating revenue to support our work. Since then, we have run various social enterprise businesses as on-the-job classrooms for our students that also nourish our communities. This innovative, entrepreneurial approach ensures that we address the root causes of poverty and food insecurity to enable brighter futures.
Throughout the past three decades, our commitment to transforming lives through food, life skills and job training has remained steadfast. We have served over 14,000 youth and adults in our job training programs and provided 19 million meals to local nonprofits, shelters, respite centers, youth and adult daycare centers and schools.
Our Values
Acceptance: We build relationships based on the belief that the past informs but does not dictate the future.
Respect: We treat everyone with dignity, regardless of background or differences. We actively listen and seek first to understand. We are honest, even when it is difficult.
Openness: We create a culture of trust through transparency and open communication. We are open to new ideas.
Collaboration: Contribute positively to strengthen the organization and our impact through teamwork and through partnerships.
Accountability: We are responsible to each other, to our community and ourselves. We are committed to rigorous evaluation and making fiscally responsible decisions that align with our mission.
Inclusion: We provide a community of belonging, regardless of background. We value and seek out diversity.
Growth: We are a learning organization. We invest in continuous improvement and growth.
Our commitment to antiracism
FareStart defines antiracism as the clear acknowledgment that racism permeates organizations, communities, and industries, including our own. We recognize that we have a duty to be vigilant in addressing and confronting racism in how we make decisions, show up in our communities, build business practices and policies, and engage in intentional partnerships and philanthropic endeavors to fulfill our mission and vision.
More About FareStart
If you would like to learn more about FareStart and our work, please contact us at 206-443-1233 or at info@farestart.org.