Courtesy Photo / Saint City Culinary Foundation
Saint City Culinary Foundation founder Joel Rivas speaks to a group.
The Saint City Culinary Foundation of San Antonio and its Heard mental wellness program have been recognized for Bon Appetite magazine like one of the five table bosses by 2022.
The honor is given to individuals and organizations that are making the world of food more inclusive and uplifting.
Saint City Culinary Foundation founder Joel Rivas launched the nonprofit in 2017, using his experience in restaurants, bars, and healthcare business development to create a wellness program for people in the food and beverage industry. , many of whom do not have access to traditional health insurance. options
“Our industry is full of workers who are wire donors, and they likely won’t refill their cup after hours of service to the public,” Rivas said. Bon Appetite. “They make $2.13 an hour, plus tips, so they can’t afford therapy. A lot of people fill that with other things.”
At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Rivas and a small core staff began aggressively developing a comprehensive mental health arm from the non-profit organization, known as Heard, specifically for professionals in the hospitality industry.
“I knew it was going to be difficult ahead,” he said. “I knew I had to listen.”
In partnership with Capital Area Counseling, Heard now provides mental health first aid classes to local individuals, restaurants and bars, helping to train hospitality workers on how to identify and address mental health issues among their peers.
The group is also working to make affordable telehealth services available nationally by 2024.
More information about Heard and Heard Health are available online.
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