Culinary Connections
Meals that build connection.
karen@diversified.world
Colorado Springs, CO
A new kind of community.
Refugee-status chefs prepare traditional meals… you experience new cultures.
Every meal supports job training, certification, and fair wages for our chefs.
Each purchase builds understanding, creates opportunity, and invests in a more connected Colorado Springs.
APRIL
2025
Feature Cuisine:
Afghan
Pick-Up Date
4/26, 430-530pm
First United Methodist Church 420 N Nevada Ave, Colorado Springs, CO 80903
Our Menu
We offer a seasonal menu that reflects the skills of each participant cohort.
For the Spring 2025 season, we’re featuring Afghan flavors and culinary traditions!
Afghan Meal – $25
Afghan Meal Vegetarian – $25
Culinary Connections is a collective effort.
Built by a team of organizations with deep roots in refugee resettlement, social impact, and community outreach, we combine experience to create opportunities where food and culture bring people together.
This program supports newcomer chefs, promotes economic opportunity, and fosters a stronger, more connected community.
Social good through good food.
About the Collective
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Culinary Connections empowers newly arrived refugee and immigrant women by facilitating food handling certification, developing fundamental business skills and providing paid opportunities to share their culinary heritage. Through Culinary Connections, we foster cross-cultural understanding, build meaningful connections, and create pathways toward economic independence for women.
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We envision a community where food is more than nourishment—it’s a bridge between cultures. By supporting immigrant and refugee chefs, we strive to create sustainable opportunities, celebrate heritage, and strengthen connections between neighbors through shared meals.
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Culinary Connections is a collaborative effort between community organizations in the Pikes Peak region to support women of incredible culinary talents through the sharing of traditional dishes from their cultures.
Support our growth
Your contribution ensures sustainable programming and supports livable wages for our chefs!
Culinary Connections is a platform for women to share their culture with their new communities- while also supporting their families.
Your purchase supports newcomers to the Pikes Peak region, including these Afghan families:
Aadila* and her husband Hekmet* are parents to six children, ages 3 to 15. Since their arrival in the US, their youngest child was born and Hekmet obtained his driver’s license and employment. Aadila* cares for the family and participates in Culinary Connections. The moved into their own apartment, and the children are now attending neighborhood schools!
Qualim* and his wife Nazia* have three girls ages 2 to 6. Shortly after arriving in Colorado Springs, they welcomed the youngest daughter. Qualim and his brother got their commercial driver’s licenses and were hired as long-haul truck drivers. Nazia* is very quickly learning English and is now helping to translate for others. She recently obtained her driver’s license, too!
Zalmay* and Breshna*, and their two young boys arrived recently in 2024. Zalmay* has gotten a job, and the oldest boy is in elementary school. Breshna* is working on learning English while caring for her youngest child.
* Pseudonyms help keep our chef’s identity safe and sound!
