Marianne Ali

Marianne Ali was an American chef who graduated from L'Academie de Cuisine in Maryland, whom worked at DC Central Kitchen for more than 20 years and became the Director of Culinary Job Training Program in 2005.

Education

In 1974, when Ali was 17 years old started using drugs, after that time she decided to take 12th grade English to become self sufficient, but the drug stopped her to reach her goals.[1]

In 1994, after 20 years drug use, Marianne looked for help and got detoxified and rehabilitated at the Marian House, the nuns that worked there referred her to a L'Academie de Cuisine. She funded her career with aid money and studied in the Gaithersburg, Maryland campus. L'Academie de Cuisine was a cuisine school founded in 1976 by Francois Dionot, it closed operations in 2017 after 41 years of service due to financial problems.[2][3][4][5][6]

Personal life

Marianne Ali was born in 1957 and was raised by her parents. Marianne got pregnant when she was 19 years old and stop using drugs for one year, and gave birth to Brandi when she was 20 years old, after it she returned to use drugs.[7]

Her brother died when he was 40 years old.[8]

Drug use and rehabilitation

Marianne Ali admired his brother and followed his steps, unfortunately his brother started using marijuana and she started in this way to use drugs. She was introduced to the use of heroin when she was 17 years old, after a time she used crack cocaine that was more addictive. She smoked marijuana during the day time and crack during the night time, somedays without getting any sleep at all.

In 1994, after using crack cocaine she realized that if she did not seek help she would die due the addiction. She got detoxified and then entered the Marian House (a long-term transitional home run by Catholic nuns in Baltimore) where she received rehabilitation, and became free of drugs when she was 37 years, she stayed without drug use for 23 years.[9]

Career and activism

Marianne arrived at DC Central Kitchen in 1997 and worked there for 20 years. In 2005 she became director of Culinary Job Training Program, a program that empowers unemployed men and women of the Washington metropolitan area, helping more than 1600 people to replace homelessness, addiction and incarceration with careers, helping them in job search, and linking companies in look for workers and new professionals in the service industry, improving their quality of life.[10][11][12][13]

Awards

Marianne was named a Champion of Change by the White House in 2014.[14][15][16]

Death

Marianne Ali died of cancer on August 30, 2017.[17]

Legacy

Marianne's Cafe, the coffee shop at Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library is named after her.[18][12]

See also

References
  1. Kitchen, DC Central (2017-03-23), Marianne's Story, retrieved 2023-05-03
  2. "L'Academie de Cuisine, one of the nation's top culinary schools, abruptly closes after 41 years". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2023-05-03.
  3. ttps://www.courtlistener.com/docket/13471604/24/kelly-creekbaum-v-lacademie-de-cuisine-inc/
  4. Olver, Bill (September 3, 2020). "Court Dismisses Qui Tam Complaint Against Third-Party Hired by Defendant After Dates of Alleged Fraud; United States District Court for the District of Maryland No. DKC 17-3525, U.S. ex rel Christopher James Kelly-Creekbaum v. L'Academie de Cuisine Inc., et al".
  5. "Chef Francois Dionot, President of L'Academie de Cuisine Proudly Announces the Re-opening of the Recreational Cooking School in Bethesda, MD". PRWeb. Retrieved 2023-05-03.
  6. "40 Years of Practice At L'Academie de Cuisine - Washingtonian". 2017-03-06. Retrieved 2023-05-03.
  7. Kitchen, DC Central (2017-03-23), Marianne's Story, retrieved 2023-05-03
  8. Shaffett, Olivia (March 8, 2022). "The Lasting Legacy of Marianne Ali". DC Central Kitchen.
  9. "The Kitchen of Second Chances". The Daily Signal. July 19, 2015.
  10. "Marianne Ali". whitehouse.gov. June 27, 2014.
  11. "Chef Marianne Ali, the first Catalyst for Change Award Winner". Catalyst Kitchens. September 16, 2022.
  12. "DC Central Kitchen Works to Provide Training for Young Adults Facing Employment Barriers". April 1, 2022.
  13. Douglas, Maya (March 28, 2019). "30 years of DCCK: Our Staff". DC Central Kitchen.
  14. "Chef Marianne Ali, the first Catalyst for Change Award Winner". Catalyst Kitchens. 2022-09-16. Retrieved 2023-05-03.
  15. "Marianne Ali". whitehouse.gov. 2014-06-27. Retrieved 2023-05-03.
  16. https://www.dclibrary.org/node/67541
  17. Douglas, Maya (November 20, 2018). "Marianne Ali North Star Award Winner: Christine Bates". DC Central Kitchen.
  18. Nellis, Nycci. "MARIANNE'S BY D.C. CENTRAL KITCHEN". www.thelistareyouonit.com.
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