MODESTO — The Turlock Gospel Mission received a $100,000 grant from Oak Valley Community Bank — as part of the Federal Home Loan Bank — for work related to its new partnership with the Stanislaus County Regional Housing Authority.

TGM executive director Christian Curby said his organization will serve as the operator for the food-related job-readiness program operating out of the former hotel on Sisk Road in Modesto.

The new facility features two kitchens, a dining room that will serve as a working cafe, and about 100 rooms that will be converted into single-resident occupancy units.

It will be able to accommodate about 40 students seeking training in the culinary field.

“It’s been about a year that we’ve been talking about this,” said Curby. “We have our Nourish program, and they were looking for an operator.”

The Nourish program is a three-phase year-long program that focuses on life stability (getting candidates the help they need), job readiness (classroom and culinary skills), and career/education (transitioning into the workforce and working on financial preparedness). 

Curby hopes that graduates of Nourish will move on to be employees or even trainers at the Housing Authority site.

“Based on the quality of the location and the size of the audience that’s there, our hope is that program becomes self-sustaining,” said Curby. “We’re hopeful the cafe and the catering businesses will cover the overhead.”

Plans are also in the works, Curby said, to offer case management and job training during the day when shelters throughout Modesto are shuttered.

The $100,000 AHEAD Economic Development Grant will go toward purchasing equipment for the largest kitchen on site, in addition to going toward staff-trainer salaries. 

“We’re hoping it’s operation sometime in January or February,” said Curby.