The Enterprising Kitchen, Inc. is a nonprofit organization
created to provide job training and life skills development
for women living in poverty in Chicago.

Within the context of a small business that produces high quality 
hand-made soaps and gourmet grains, women receive hands-on, 
intensive assistance that includes: 
paid employment, work and life skills training and a variety 
of other support services. TEK's operation of a micro-enterprise 
enables women to maximize their individual potential. 
Furthermore, the financial resources generated by 
product sales help to sustain and develop the program.

Women are employed twenty-five hours per week and they are paid 
minimum wage initially. The income from the sale of our products covers 
the cost of materials and a portion of our fixed costs. The Enterprising Kitchen 
does not receive any money from The United Way 
nor do we receive government funding.

Since welcoming its first participant/employees in the summer of 1996, 
The Enterprising Kitchen has worked with sixty women, 
thirty-two of whom have already "graduated" to mainstream jobs 
or other specialized training schools. 
In 1997, the business expanded its product line. The line of natural soaps 
was introduced, joining the gourmet grains that have proven to be popular. 
Sales increased two and one-half times over the level of sales in 1996; 
sales more than doubled in 1999.

During the past year, the board of directors developed a 
challenging strategic plan. Its major thrust is to strengthen and further 
develop the business of The Enterprising Kitchen. We continue to investigate 
various methods of increasing revenues from sales so that the business 
will support, to a greater extent, the costs of the program.  
The business is not only a tool for our job training but most importantly it 
also enables TEK to effectively expand the impact of its mission.

We are very proud of our accomplishments over the last eighteen
months, and we are expecially grateful to our funders, donors
and to our loyal customers. Thank you for your generous support
and your belief in our mission.