Food Works works for women

Wild mushroom lasagna, rack of lamb and truffles don't ordinarily come to mind when a person thinks of "soul food." \nBut Middleway Food Works, a business owned by Middle Way House Inc., is offering homemade goodies that serve a deeper purpose than satisfying appetites.\nThe program began in 2002 to provide area children and seniors with nutritious, made-from-scratch meals. It since has grown to include catering for special events. In the process, Food Works has given its workers a hearty serving of self-esteem.\n"These women develop a good sense of self, and they learn a lot of skills that they can use here or elsewhere," said Susan Dahlberg, manager of the First United Methodist Church kitchen, one of the locations in which Food Works operates. "They gain a lot of confidence through their work. When they leave, they have a pretty good résumé, too."\nFood Works is an appealing employment option for many of the women because it has a positive atmosphere.\n"We're family-friendly, and we understand if they have to miss work to take care of their kids," Dahlberg said. Food Works employs 20 women, all of whom are domestic violence survivors. Together they are responsible for preparing more than 900 meals daily for the Children's Village, Head Start, the Bloomington Developmental Learning Center and Area 10 Agency on Aging.\nCatering has been a successful venture for Food Works as well, Dahlberg explained.\n"It has grown so rapidly, so it's hard sometimes to keep up with the demand," she said. "We do a lot of weddings and meetings. We've also done catering for groups in Indianapolis, including a 'Women in Politics' dinner."\nDahlberg said the work is rewarding for her employees.\n"They (the women) really enjoy meeting the people we work for," she said. "We recently catered an event for the Craft Center, who held their worldwide conference just outside of Bloomington. It was two nights' worth of work, and the people were just so great."\nThe United Methodist Women's Group has used Food Works' services for its meetings and conferences. The treasurer for the group, who did not wish to be identified, said her group supports the ideals that Food Works stresses.\n"Food Works gives these women an opportunity to use their skills," she said. "They learn to be independent and to take care of themselves instead of depending on someone else."\nShe said her group has been quite pleased with the business' services.\n"Their food is very good and healthy, and it's not laden with fat. We are hosting an upcoming conference, and we are using them again," she said.\nToby Strout, executive director of Middle Way House, has plans to expand the operation further. "We hope to mass market some things we've been working on, including a palate cleanser, which we're trying out at wine testing venues. We also have product lines we're working on," she explained.\nStrout said they are planning to bring back the "take-home meal" program as well.\n"We have grown so much, and we just didn't have the space to prepare them anymore. We hope to eventually build a bigger space, and when we do, we'll bring them back." \nDahlberg believes in Foodworks and its employees. \n"Our food and our people work," she said. \n-- Contact Staff Writer Kama Korvela at kkorvela@indiana.edu