A Rebalance & Culinary Story…

Lamar* began coming to Rebalance at YFC through a partnership with a local school — and he may not have been thrilled about it at first. Walking into a new building, surrounded by unfamiliar faces, and being asked to engage in experiences very different from his typical school day — it was a lot to take in. He was quiet and reserved, and most weeks we couldn’t tell what he was thinking or feeling. Some weeks were frankly hard. But he kept showing up, week after week, and our team kept showing up for him — encouraging him, building trust, one small step at a time.

Several months in, I invited Lamar to join our culinary program for an evening of cooking. Saying yes was a big step — one he couldn’t have taken earlier. But by then, the building felt familiar, the trust between us had grown, and something in him was quietly shifting. The lessons from Rebalance were taking root.

That evening, we got to see a different Lamar. As he cooked alongside our team, his excitement was impossible to miss. He was the most animated we had ever seen him — especially when he learned to make burgers on the flattop. By the end of the night, he was a full-on burger master.

We have so much hope for Lamar. We hope to keep finding ways to connect him more deeply to our programs, and we believe he will continue to grow in confidence and overcome the obstacles in his life. Most of all, we can’t wait for the day Lamar comes to know the author of Hope himself.

Eric Blake
Executive Assistant
Rebalance Coach & Culinary Ministry Coordinator 

*names are changed for privacy reasons and pictures are not directly related to the story