How To Change A Life

Jai Al-Attas
Jul 20, 2017 · 2 min read

I want to share a short story with you about this photo.

This is Michel’le and I sharing a sushi lunch in Culver City last week.

Only 6 months ago, Michel’le was released from prison and found her way into A New Way Of Life — an incredible re entry program for formerly incarcerated Women in south central Los Angeles that we work with.

Michel’le joined a pilot program that we created with a Chef on Loqules, using experiences to teach the necessary kitchen skills to under privileged Women that were interested in breaking into the culinary industry. It was a 4 week paid traineeship, where they’d spend time with Chef in her commercial kitchen preparing food for her clients and at program’s end Chef would help them find employment opportunities in kitchens around LA. We chipped in and bought the tools they’d need to succeed, like knives, measuring tools, timers etc once they’d graduated.

A week prior to this sushi lunch, Chef called me to tell me that a job vacancy opened and she offered the full time job to Michel’le who grabbed the opportunity with both hands and ran with it. This was a life changing moment for Michel’le, and over the next 3 hours she shared her story of her life struggles, having her first child at 14, abusive relationships, anxiety and her incarceration.

Then yesterday I got this text her from her.

Michel’le was leaving Watts. Full time employment doing what she loves, her own apartment, an entrepreneurial side-venture selling food to hungry football fans and also doing experiences for our clients. A true success and testament to Chef and the amazing work Susan, Tiffany and the team do at A New Way Of Life.

Why am I sharing this story? Because Loqules has had an incredible first half of 2017, but none of it makes us prouder than this, having the ability to change someone’s life.

At the end of lunch Michel’le told me that she will open her own restaurant in the next few years and I have no doubt she will see that through.

Check out our LA Times article on how we’re using experiences to improve people’s lives.

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Jai Al-Attas
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