Hello dear friends

My Place is entering our fifth year, and there have been many memorable events and milestones, including a two-year residency program for at-risk and homeless youth, and Gen Y – a youth center to accommodate a variety of support services for the benefit of the community’s youth.

The latest enterprise of My Place is the gluten-free bakery, My Gluten-Free Bread Company, a two-fold social and community service program. The bakery is a commercially driven, youth-inspired enterprise and national training center* located at 409 7th Ave. in Hendersonville in the heart of western North Carolina. The CSA (Celiac Sprue Association) certified bakery, opened in March 2012, offers a NC licensed, pre-apprenticeship program for at-risk and homeless youth ages 18-23. As part of the one year baking program, apprentices also complete high school and entrepreneurship training, making them eligible to pursue micro loans to start home-based businesses in the future, in line with other marketable skills and talents they may demonstrate. This is the nation’s first gluten-free training center.

Not only are we serving the needs of at-risk youth, we are serving the needs of hundreds of people who are gluten-intolerant, by offering tasty and healthful products. Our recipes were developed with the help of local celiac groups and experienced bakers. In addition to our own bakery retail outlet, our products are carried in nine Ingles stores  (a local family-owned food chain), several restaurants and health food stores.

Now we are in the process of acquiring transitional housing with 6 apartments, where youths can take the next step toward independent living by managing their own job and financial responsibilities.