Chef turned cop helps inspire Chicago youth through cooking

CHICAGO — A chef turned police officer is cooking up new ways to inspire young people in Chicago.

Chicago police officer Kenneth Griffin often shares his giving spirit on social media.

“I recognize when I was a kid, I didn’t have the healthiest relationship of policing…didn’t get to see the community side of policing,” Founder of ‘No Matter What,’ Kenneth Griffin said.

He was working as a chef when the police killing of Laquan McDonald promoted him to go into law enforcement.

“Now that I’m a police officer getting to show them all officers aren’t bad there’s a lot of us that want to see them be great no matter where they come from,” Griffin said.

In 2015, he launched No Matter What, using his love of cooking to help connect with young people.

Darryl Pearman is a Dunbar High School student who has been in the program for a few years.

“Ever since I was younger, I wanted to be a pastry chef and it’s kind of opened doors didn’t know where to start and they’re guiding me in the right direction,” Pearman said.

The students are also exposed to international travel. They are heating to Italy this summer. They maintain a community garden, and last year, the non-profit received an abandoned building through the Cook County Land Bank that will be the future home of the No Matter What Community Arts center in Englewood.

“We’re going to put a state-of-the-art kitchen on the very top floor we’re going to put a performing arts center on the first level land a first responder peace room where different officers can come in and bridge the gap between the community and law enforcement,” Griffin said.

The organization will host the ‘Culinary Futures Benefit’ Sunday night at Fairlie Chicago on the Near West Side. More than 1,000 students will be participating in preparing and serving the food.

For more information, visit: Culinary Futures 2024 (nmwchicago.org)

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