Estiben - Root Community Kitchen Team Member

Estiben graduated from Root in 2023 and is a current member of Root's Community Kitchen Team. He works alongside CK team members, supporting Root's retail catering and community meal initiatives. Each week, they prepare over 700 community meals for individuals across the North Shore!

“I am the first in my family to graduate high school, and I am now taking culinary classes at Bunker Hill Community College, and someday hope to own my own restaurant…The training program and Community Kitchen job have made me work harder and smarter in everything I do. I really like working at the monthly Salem Meet & Eat community dinners. My family was once on the receiving side, and it is so important to me that I am now on the side of giving out food to people in need. The Root training program and now being a part of the CK team have made me a more team-oriented person, before Root I had the attitude that I could do it all by myself and was not comfortable asking for help. Now I feel comfortable leaning on others as part of a team.  Working in a kitchen is all about teamwork.”

Above: Estiben and Mason working on Community Meals