Making a meal is an exercise in planning, precision, art and science. When the meal is presented to customers, one hopes it is all good and worthy.

However, when the meal is presented to hard working volunteers—who spend untold hours combating suicide, intervening in crisis, and working with victims on the postvention trauma–that homemade meal becomes symbolic food for the continuation of the mission.

At least this is what the Alaska Job Corps Culinary class hopes, after serving a carefully prepared meal to the volunteers and workers of the Alaska Trauma Center, in partnership with the Mat-Su Coalition for Suicide Prevention.

This was the 2nd Annual Suicide Awareness Symposium on June 7-12, 2016. The Job Corps Culinary students worked hard to make the dinner special. Chef Williams said, “The prime rib was done to perfection for this type of service. Everything was plated and served well.” One of the students preparing the meal observed, “It was orchestrated evenly. This is what we hope for when we serve at an event.” The Culinary class received accolades from the attendees along with a standing ovation from the crowd.

The Alaska Job Corps is operated by Chugach Government Solutions as part of their educational effort to provide safety and training to young adults in the National Job Corps program.