A winning recipe. Nonprofit’s big move will help expand Tri-Cities job training
A Tri-Cities job training program is getting ready to make a move that will let their students help people in recovery.
Opportunity Kitchen will make the leap from the Federal Building in Richland to the Columbia Valley Center for Recovery when it opens next year. The free culinary program is part of Columbia Ability Alliance’s mission to help adults facing barriers to employment build the skills they need to achieve success.
Their clients in the program include adults experiencing homelessness or unstable housing, people living with disabilities or mental health conditions, domestic violence survivors, people struggling with poverty and those working to reenter the community after incarceration.
The recovery center, at 900 S. Auburn St., is just across the street from Columbia Ability Alliance’s Kennewick office.
They’re hoping that as families begin to think about holiday giving this year, they’ll consider a gift that will help the most vulnerable in our community to build better lives.
Opportunities for growth
Over the course of 12 weeks they get hands-on culinary training, certifications such as a food handlers permit, job placement assistance, life skills and coaching and wraparound support services.
Graduates go on to successful careers in food service, catering, hospitality and other related fields.
Some of their graduates have even returned to the program as employees, allowing them to help others.
Sous Chef Natalia Kondratkaia is one of those graduates. Now she gets to be an example for students looking for a chance to build a better life.
Chef Derek Smith said he hopes the new space will allow them to create even more opportunities for longer term development such as internships.
The level of service the kitchen will be responsible for will increase exponentially as the center grows. The recovery center expects to start with about 60 patients and up to 100 staff when it opens this spring. New services will be added in later phases, including some recovery housing apartments.
“The consistency of feeding the participants there is good for the team. We’ll be doing a lot of scratched base work trying to just create meals for a specific audience,” he said. “We’re going to participate in that environment every day making certain that people are nourished there and supporting them in their recovery.”
He said some of the people in recovery might also qualify to become students, further improving their lives and chances of long-term success.
Helping the program grow
Smith said support from Tri-Cities families and businesses this holiday season will translate directly into experiences for their students.
“It can mean different experiences for them. We try to provide different materials, we have field trips we like to take,” Smith said. “I really base our program on the food community and seasonality. In the summer we’re going over to the market.”
“Any support on Giving Tuesday really contributes directly to how our students are impacted,” he said.
Community donations and funding from Benton and Franklin county leaders have helped cover the cost of building the new kitchen, but donations will help the program serve more people in need free of charge.
The program isn’t just building job skills, it’s helping participants build confidence, creativity and trust in their own choices.
“Watching them grow and thrive, and kind of giving them space in which to do that is very important,” Smith said. “I want to be there. I want to be someone they can check in with, but I want all of my team to feel they have creative space and a lane to drive in where I can help monitor.”
“It’s not about what I have a desire to do here ... I drive the bus for everyone to thrive,” he said.
Community members can also support the program by booking them for catering jobs. They’ve handled gigs of all sizes. Smith said these are some of the best opportunities for students, because each one is different.
“By supporting and utilizing us in a catering setting you’re directly supporting student experience and our program and helping it thrive,” he said.
Supporting Opportunity Kitchen
There are a variety of ways Tri-Cities families and businesses can support the program this holiday season and beyond.
Their courthouse location is open to the public, so you can come by and have lunch on weekdays. The cafe is downstairs once you pass through security. It’s by the rear entrance of the building at 825 Jadwin Ave.
The program offers catering gigs, whether it’s for a business luncheon, holiday party or big event.
You can donate directly to the program through Columbia Ability Alliance. The nonprofit also has other programs doing great work in the community.
Those services include a community center for adults with disabilities and life barriers, where clients can make meaningful connections while allowing caregivers needed time for other errands.
They also offer employment services assistance, free of charge for clients referred by a partner agency, such as the Developmental Disabilities Administration or school districts.
This story was originally published November 28, 2025 at 5:00 AM.
