ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WROC) — Teenagers in Rochester will soon have access to free training to handle and cook food, setting them up to be certified to work in restaurants and other jobs legally.

Once Save Rochester officially opens their new headquarters on Dewey Ave. this summer, they’ll use that building to offer any teenager in Rochester classes to get them officially certified in New York State to handle and cook food. Not only will this give them opportunities for jobs, but also skills to cook healthy foods themselves.

At age 14, Eva Galletti-Fisher, who volunteers with Save Rochester, is looking towards getting a job by next summer. She’s eager to learn everything about handling food professionally which isn’t offered anywhere else where she lives.

“It will just help teens for job opportunities just to get that experience and skills that will be helpful so you don’t have to go all around the city and pay out of pocket,” Galletti-Fisher said.

Save Rochester’s other goal is to better the public health among teens in the city to understand how to cook healthy foods themselves and not rely on fast food.

“This will be huge for health because there’s so many processed foods out here that are cheap and easy to get a hold of,” Save Rochester Director or Strategic Initiatives Shadel Fisher said. “Here we’re going to be teaching them how to prepare their own foods in a health manner using healthy ingredients and safe ingredients.”

Before Save Rochester can start offering these courses, they’ll need to get their new building off Dewey Ave. up to code. To do so, they welcomed in Luis Ramire who recently got out of prison and wants to become part of the positive change for the community.

“It was bad, and I don’t want my kids to go through what I went through,” Ramire said. “So, I feel like they’re really doing an amazing thing here and I just got to be part of it because I wish I got this same opportunity when I was growing up.”

Save Rochester hopes to have their new facility complete at the start of June. Anyone looking to donate to their cause and this project for the children can do so here.

No matter the age, Save Rochester is always welcoming new volunteers and members who want to join their projects and mission to make the city a better place.