History

Nieda and Caterina meet for the first time, paired through IRIS' Cultural Companions program.

We began selling Nieda’s baklava in student cafes on Yale’s campus.

We launched the inaugural cohort  of the Havenly Fellowship. Over the course of six-months, three women completed paid work experience and adult education in preparation for careers in the food industry.

Hala became our first fellow to transition into full-time work, earning $21 an hour as a baker at University of New Haven. She is now the primary earner in her family.

We welcomed our second cohort of fellows, consisting of three women. From October to February, we held the second iteration of our fellowship within our temporary home, the Jewish Community Center of Greater New Haven.

We moved into our own dedicated commercial kitchen and storefront for the first time.

As part of our leadership program, our fellows began preparing and delivering meals to refugee, immigrant, and housing insecure families affected by the pandemic in New Haven. Between March and June of 2020, our fellows served over 5,000 meals through the COVID food relief program.

We continue the food relief program while piloting a new menu of savory Middle Eastern dishes.