BALTIMORE — Food lovers, a new local restaurant Soul Street has hit the scene in Little Italy, but the communities support of this restaurant could have a greater impact on young people throughout Baltimore.
As Ira Chase, the owner of Soul Street, prepares to serve the Baltimore community, an important piece to what he does comes in the form of mentorship through his nonprofit, Chasing your Dreams.
Pairing his restaurant and nonprofit, he gives 16-24-year-olds job experience and skills to be successful.
That includes his 19-year-old son Imrie Chase.
"It puts me around a lot of adults, being able to learn different things about cooking and communicating more with customers," says Imrie
He's been a part of Chasing your Dream for nearly three years, learning the ropes of the restaurant business. At Soul Street, he'll wear many different hats, an opportunity he feels would help people his age who may not be on the right path.
"It would change a lot of people's course of where they might be going with life. Based off the environment they may have grown up in, it brings you more to a work environment and puts you around adults who know what they're doing and what they're talking about," says Imrie.
His time in the Chasing your Dreams led to him to numerous opportunities, like being a part of Preakness a few weeks back.
"For him to be a young man, his scenery is already consistently changing, and he's able to gain those skills and get money at the same time," says Ira.
The organization was created because growing up, the death of a few close friends entering early adulthood affected Ira.
"When you know you can make one decision in that age bracket, that'll be the end of your life. We've been able to help people steer away ft these. Not step in a mind field," says Ira.
If you'd like to contact Chasing your Dreams, visit their website here.
You can also call them at 443-722-8860.
