In a commercial kitchen in Frayser, something more than food is being made. Confidence, community and second chances are coming together one meal at a time.

The Sow Project, a free culinary-training program for unemployed and underemployed Memphians, is reshaping what job readiness looks like in the food and hospitality industry. Founded by longtime chef and restaurateur Ben Vaughn, the program combines hands-on culinary education with mentorship, financial literacy and job-placement support — creating pathways for people who may never have seen themselves in a professional kitchen.

Vaughn knows this path intimately. After three decades in the culinary world — opening restaurants, writing books and surviving addiction — he realized his next chapter needed to be in service of others. He started small, teaching cooking basics to a few individuals out of his own kitchen.

This is an excerpt of this story. To read more, please click here and subscribe.