ABOUT
The Cookery is a café with an Australian flair which provides catering services along with hosting events. The Cookery, as a division of Lambscroft Ministries (501 c3), provides a training opportunity to formerly homeless or incarcerated men in the Culinary Arts; preparing them for employment in the local food industry.
Vision and Mission
Vision: Restored lives reconciled to God, self, and others.
Mission: To glorify God by helping people move from homelessness and despair to hope as part of Christ's community by providing housing, mentoring, job training, discipleship, and service opportunities.
Core Values
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Christ from the beginning to the end, introducing the hurting and marginalized to the only relationship that will make them whole.
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By belonging to the Lambscroft community, people will reengage with community and ultimately serve the community.
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Whatever we do, if we base it on the Gospel, we will receive life.
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Renewal of identity by honoring the sanctity of the individual and the power of their choice.
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Belonging, replacing fear, in a culture of respect and honor.
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Mercy over judgement, relationship and connection over the need to always be right.
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Faith based servant leadership at all levels of ministry.
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We want more guests at the Lord's banquet.
Our Story
In 2008, compassion stirred amongst a group of believers, in conjunction with some local area churches, to address the plight of homelessness in the community. Out of their vision, a program called Church in the Yard was held in the yard of Holy Trinity Episcopal Church downtown Nashville. The program consisted of serving food and holding a Sunday service for the homeless. That same year, The Upper Room Shelter program began by taking in six homeless individuals on a biweekly basis at the Woodbine Cumberland Presbyterian Church gymnasium. Eventually the program grew to welcome between 60 to 110 individuals twice a week for hot meal and a safe place to sleep. The Upper Room Shelter continued serving the homeless until it closed its doors in August 2015 due to the church property being sold.
During this time, a more concerted effort was made to organize and unify the vision. In 2011, Lambscroft Ministries became an official 501c3 organization. The name was developed as a combination of two words. A "croft" which is an old English term for a small tenant farm and the Lamb, which represents Jesus, the Lamb of God. We chose the name Lambscroft to represent that we are stewards to those whom the Lamb has entrusted to us.
Lambscroft’s vision is to do more for the homeless men than just hand out food and provide temporary shelter. We see a major need for job opportunities and spiritual renewal and restoration. Brett Swayn, Lambscroft’s founder and director, with a background in the culinary arts, wanted to establish a café where homeless men could be receive training for future employment in the culinary arts. After pursuing the dream for three years, The Cookery café opened in the summer of 2013.
The Cookery, in addition to serving coffee, breakfast, lunch, and catering services, is a business with an outreach and greater purpose. At The Cookery, formerly homeless men enroll as students, are trained and equipped in culinary techniques and food safety, and are prepared for employment in Nashville’s food industry. “Through all of this God has taught us perseverance, resilience, patience, and trust,” says Brett Swayn.
Lambscroft is committed to serving the total needs of each student. Many coming into the program are dealing with addictions or other forms of bondage. To assist with ministering to the whole person, Lambscroft established two Discipleship Houses, where students can live in a safe environment, free of distractions while seeking spiritual study, community, and a renewed life.
The Culinary Program
What is the objective of the program?
In addition to equipping our students with a new set of skills in the kitchen, our larger aim is to reestablish within each student and identity, sense of purpose, and destiny. If we can help break cycles of hopelessness, bad choices, and regret, our students will not only secure jobs but also be confident to enter relationships with their communities once again.
How long is the Culinary Training Program?
It is a minimum of three months, but it is not limited to this time frame. It can take between five and twelve months to successfully graduate from the program.
What is involved in the training?
The Training Program teaches a variety of skills necessary to work in a professional kitchen, as well as life skills that can be applied outside of the kitchen. These include:
● Proper dish washing setup
● SERVsafe food safety and preparation certification
● How to prep, cut, store, label and dispense foods
● Grilling and cold bar station setup, execution, and cleaning
● How to make food by using recipes and measurements
● How to problem solve, handle conflict, and work with others who have varying personalities, capacities and shortcomings
● Opportunities to create, demonstrate and share in the creative process in the culinary arts
● Opportunities to learn to live with others respectfully, sacrificially, and openly;
in a safe, secure environment
● Discipleship opportunities involving mentoring, Bible studies and prayer.
Volunteer Opportunities
Thank you for your interest in joining with us! We’re excited to get to know you, and serve with you. Given that we are currently and primarily focused on serving men, some of the following volunteer opportunities are only appropriate for men to fill. However, there are still places for women and children to become involved! Descriptions will highlight this specific need.
If you would like to sign up for any of these opportunities, or have any questions, please email info@thecookery.org
Bible Study Teachers
Bible Study Teachers/Leaders are volunteers who commit to coming once a week for one month. Certain topics or books may require a longer time commitment and those adjustments can be made. Key topics to cover are The Father Heart of God, Purity, Identity, Elementary Discipleship principles, Forgiveness.
Mentors
Men can be paired with one of the men in the program and commit to meeting regularly with him and supporting him along his faith journey. Men with abundant ‘life experience’ preferred. ☺
Haircuts
A skilled volunteer is needed to come to The Cookery to help with student haircuts.
Prayer Partners
Prayer Partners are volunteers who love to spend time ministering to others through prayer. They can come to The Cookery during restaurant hours and pray in and over our space, our students, and staff as well as our customers. Customers also leave prayer requests at our prayer wall and these special requests need prayer attention. Prayer partners can also pray from home with a list of our current students, staff and pressing needs.
Drivers: For Donated Food Pickups
We need drivers who will volunteer to pick up food donations on behalf of Lambscroft and The Cookery during the week. These food donations are used to give our homeless brothers and sisters on Mission Saturdays.
Friday Night Worship
We meet at 6pm every Friday evening at The Cookery. Volunteers are welcome to come and worship with us, as well as join in as part of the worship team or bringing the Word.
Lunch Bag Preparation
We are currently handing out an average of 20 free sack lunches 6 days a week at The Cookery. These lunches include a sandwich, a snack, and a tea or coffee. On Mission Saturdays we deliver 90-120 sack lunches with water bottles.
Improvement Projects
Each of our Discipleship homes (and sometimes The Cookery) have small maintenance needs. If you are skilled in areas such as plumbing, electrical, basic fixer-upper home-based projects, etc., please let us know if you would like to help when projects or needs arise.
Hygiene Packs
Volunteers are needed to collect and make hygiene packs for the poor. These are gallon size Ziploc bags that can consist of wet wipes/body wipes , women’s hygiene products, soap, razors, shaving cream, toothbrushes, toothpaste, deodorant, $5 meal cards (from somewhere easily accessible like McDonalds or fuel stations that have food/drinks), socks, non-perishable snacks like Slim Jims or soft granola bars. In the colder months, we also like to give out hand/feet warmers, instant coffee/hot chocolate sachets, water bottles, emergency blankets, rain ponchos, pens, little notebooks, small sewing kits, hand sanitizers, gum, mints etc.
Thanksgiving and Christmas Supply and Gift Deliveries
Due to the large amounts of ministries and individuals giving out hot meals on Thanksgiving and Christmas Day we are collecting much needed supplies and gifts to deliver to those in need during the Holidays. If you and your group/church/family would like to help collect, assemble and hand out, please contact us at info@thecookery.org. Your group/family/business can do a collection drive for one/several of the items needed for those days.
Giving Opportunities
The Cookery is dependent on the goodwill and generosity of people like you. Students are provided with housing, food, and transportation. We also provide counseling, and medical access as funds permit. Thank you for in believing in this ministry and supporting it in its mission.
Job Opportunities
Please fill out the job application and send your resume to the email link below. Currently we are looking for a restaurant manager. Servers, baristas, and kitchen help are always in demand.
Contact Us
Address
1827 12th Ave South
Nashville, TN 37203
Contact
615-269-2911
Opening Hours
Mon - Fri
7:00 am – 2:00 pm
Saturday
Closed
Sunday
11:00 am – 2:00 pm