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Brooklyn chef hires formerly incarcerated women, feeds hungry families

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A Brooklyn professional chef has made it her mission to feed the hungry in her community and help formerly incarcerated women get back on their feet.

Sharon Richardson is the CEO of JustSoulCatering.

Richardson and her team were preparing a feast on the sidewalk on Hicks Street Thursday.

Richardson started her catering business after she got out of prison ten years ago.

She created a nonprofit called Reentry Rocks, a culinary internship program that works directly with women just like her.

Richardson said she only hires women coming out of prison.

“The barriers are hard when you come home and you need a job. We give back food to the community. We know what’s it like to be without,” said Richardson, packing plates of food to go.

Richardson decided to give food away, during the pandemic, preparing hundreds of meals for the hungry, twice a week. And, the donations started pouring in.

She partners with Pastor Rodney Plummer of the Calvary Baptist Church of Red Hook.

Over a hundred women have successfully gone through the Reentry Rocks program and dozens are now working with JustSoulCatering.

WPIX's Monica Morales first reported this story.