Lev grins from ear to ear as he talks about his new job at United Bowl Nation. He’s no stranger to the kitchen, but in this role, he gets to learn more about what it takes to build a culinary career beyond cooking.
“I’m excited to learn how to manage and perform in all aspects of that job. Not just the cooking part of it, but to be a craftsman in that field. To be able to set up the perfect environment – the vibe, the music – to get the people there before the food even comes out, to learn how to do all of that and take it to the next level,” he says, beaming.
Two years ago, at 38, Lev got his first ever job after learning the basics of working in a kitchen at Hospitality Training Academy, a nonprofit that prepares workers for jobs in the food service industry. He’s held a couple of jobs since then, but showing up consistently and building a sustainable career is still new ground. After experiencing a fraught childhood and falling into self-destructive patterns, Lev spent many years struggling to navigate life.
“I didn’t know where I fit in in life. I could never maintain any type of relationships or consistency. Just running around, not having a cause,” Lev recalls. “As I got older, same patterns, just worse consequences. Juvenile hall turned into camp, camp turned into jail, and jail turned into prison.”
Lev was ready to rewrite those patterns and eventually sought treatment at CLARE|MATRIX, a substance use recovery center. There, he began laying the foundation for a healthier, more positive lifestyle.
“I was able to realize that all those experiences led me to where I’m at currently… Through treatment—by me surrendering to the fact that I do have a problem, not just with drugs and alcohol, but I do have a problem with life as life shows up.”
At CLARE|MATRIX, Lev found deep healing, supportive mentors and peers, and the essential resources he needed to turn a new leaf. One of those resources was a referral to Chrysalis and the opportunity to re-enter the workforce with confidence and clarity.
Before coming to Chrysalis, Lev had gotten hired through word of mouth, never through a resume. This made participating in job preparation classes, writing his resume, and practicing interview etiquette all the more invaluable for Lev, who gained a new toolbox for success.
A newly crafted resume helped Lev get the job, but it’s his consistency and eagerness to learn that’s now helping him sustain it.
“I’m able to maintain my job today because I’m able to have communication skills, I’m able to be honest, I’m able to be consistent and reliable. I get to show up for myself and for others. That right there is thanks to the people in places like Chrysalis, AA [Alcoholics Anonymous], DEUCE Gym, The People Concern, CLARE|MATRIX—people who go out of their way to not just support but love me because when I went in, I didn’t love myself.”
These more nuanced skills and the encouragement that Lev received in both Chrysalis’ job-readiness program and his recovery process continue to ground and guide him on the job.
“Hearing other people share their experience and how it’s working for them in their life, I’m able to connect to it. Same thing when I go to a job: I’m connected to it because it’s something I get to do, not something I have to do,” Lev says of his new outlook. “Because to me, cooking is not something I have to do—I get to cook. That’s my stuff. I’m in the kitchen, that’s my element.“
Today, Lev is energized to be building a career in the culinary arts. He sees food as the “common denominator,” something that always brings people together. For Lev, that looked like helping his grandmother make pierogi (dumplings) in his home country of Ukraine, gathering with extended family over backyard feasts, and learning how to cook creative dishes for others in prison.
“I don’t get to spend time with my family now, but I’m able to get that experience for other people by connecting them through food. I get to be part of their experience,” Lev says. “To me, that’s fulfilling. It’s better than getting a paycheck because I’m able to be part of that experience and unite families, friends, and couples.”
Across different stages of Lev’s life, food has connected him to people and, now, to his purpose. Food (pizza, in particular) has also given him a metaphor to think about his journey from recovery to employment.
“It makes sense not just in the food, but in life. For me, I connected it to the foundation—the dough. For me, my recovery is that. By me being sober and clean, I’m able to have infinite possibilities, infinite toppings of what I can do today: job, life, people, relationships.“
Lev’s new job is just one topping, but it’s one that he baked into his life with a great deal of intention, care, and perseverance.