Since 2013, Edwins' Leadership and Restaurant Group CEO Brandon Chrostowski has made it his mission to give formerly incarcerated individuals a second chance through a program that teaches hospitality skills to those reentering the workforce.
Now, Chrostowski is taking his efforts a step further with a new day care center for the children of participants of this program.
Edwins' Family Center is set to open this fall. When it does, the more than 2,000-square-foot facility at 13017 Larchmere Boulevard in Cleveland joins the Second Chance Life Skills Center, 40,000 square foot campus that offers free housing for participating families as well as fitness facilities, a test kitchen and play areas. Now under construction, the day care is slated for a September opening, says Chrostowski.
As a father himself, Chrostowski knows finding childcare adds an extra hurdle to completing his program, which fights addiction and recidivism rates by employing victims of those systems in two fine dining French restaurants as well as a bakery and a butcher shop.
“Eighty percent of our students are not making it through this program if they have children,” says Chrostowski.
While mastering their craft, students can rest assured that their children have a safe place to learn and play.
“I think it’s a great idea because some students don’t have the help or support outside of Edwins or the small circle that we already have,” says Bobi Love, a 24-year-old Cleveland native and single mother of four who is currently enrolled in the program. “It’s hard to navigate someone watching your children for you. I know I won’t have to leave in the middle of service or pay someone out of pocket to care for my children and that they will be near me, so I can go straight to them after class.”
The center is made possible through $335,000 in donations for renovations, which came together in just six short weeks. Support came from community groups who donated anywhere from $5,000 to $100,000 — a feat that Chrostowski could only sum up as “amazing.” Those looking to contribute to the cause further can donate this Saturday during Edwins’ annual La Bastille event.
When the renovations at 13017 Larchmere Boulevard are complete, the two-story building will not carry the facade of an overbearing commercial complex but instead that of a home in the Shaker Heights Community.
“This feels like a home that kids play in, and it’s a bright spot for the neighborhood,” says Chrostowski, “There’s going to be a lot of kids, it's visible and kids play. It’s fun and walking around, it’s a beautiful sight.”
And while the children are at play in their brand-new home away from home, just a block away, their parents are taking strides to make their world a better place.
“It changes the game for a lot of people who want to have a second chance,” concludes Chrostowski. “It’s not a true second chance until someone’s got their world covered to be able to learn and live and at the end of the day, it's beautiful, we’re proud and we’re gonna keep going.”
