An 18-year-old with a flair for Italian cuisine, a mother of three and a woman who battled homelessness came together 14 weeks ago with little in common but now leave the Rhode Island Community Food Bank’s Community Kitchen program as friends with a common goal.

“They all know it’s way more than just the cooking skills they’ve gotten out of this,” said Terri Browne, an admissions officer for Johnson and Wales University.

The Community Kitchen program is a 14-week job-training course for low-income or unemployed adults. The current economic climate has caused an increase in interest, with more than 240 applicants vying for a spot in the program.

“Obviously with the economy the way it’s been, we’ve seen an influx of people into the program,” said Michael Cerio, the communications manager at the Food Bank.

In the end, only 13 students – three of whom are from Warwick – were chosen and Friday marked the end of their experience with the Community Kitchen’s 36th commencement ceremony.

At 18, Jonathan Hager is the class’ youngest grad but he’s been working in kitchens since he was 11 years old and the father of one of his friends allowed him to help out in his restaurant.

“I’ve just been doing it ever since,” he said, adding that even though he’s comfortable in the kitchen, he was surprised at how helpful the program proved to be. “I wasn’t expecting it to be so in-depth. They teach you pretty much anything you need to know working in the kitchen.”

On a typical Community Kitchen day, students are at the Food Bank from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., dividing their time between studying methods and food basics, observing demonstrations from Chef Instructor Heather Langlois and other guests and practicing their culinary skills. Just before last week’s ceremony, Cerio shared with the class that in their 400 hours of training, they cooked more than 20,000 meals.

“That was a shock when I heard that,” said Warwick graduate Rose Iovino.

After working for an imaging company for over 13 years, Iovino was laid off in 2004 and helped support her family through odd jobs.

“I thought, ‘it’s time to make a change’,” she said. “It was a big step.”

The mother of three, including a 13-year-old who she says lives off of pizza and sandwiches, Iovino has been cooking her whole life.

“It’s just something that I like to do,” she said, noting, “Working in the kitchen of a restaurant is so different than at home though.”

All of the students spent time in restaurant kitchens as part of the Food Bank’s on-the-job training program that requires at least 54 hours in restaurants and meal sites. Iovino donned an apron at the Greenwich Farms assisted living facility while Hager stuck with his favorite style – Italian – and took a job at the Old Canteen in Providence as he continued his evening job at Conversations in East Greenwich.

“What we find is restaurants that support the program end up doing so for the long term but we’re always looking to expand our on the job training sites,” Cerio said. “Right now people are looking for ways to give back while getting something.”

Many past graduates have gone on to be hired by training sites like the Crowne Plaza Hotel, where student Mary Cantrell spent her training hours. Although she has had her share of ups and downs, including a period of homelessness, the 49-year-old Cantrell still has dreams of owning her own business.

“I’ve been planning on opening up a restaurant. I want to have all the ins and outs of owning a restaurant before I get into it,” she said.

Her vision includes providing for others who battle homelessness and allowing them to experience the fine dining skills she learned at the Community Kitchen.

“I will, from now until I own a restaurant, learn how to flip,” she added, laughing as she gestures toward her classmate Hager who she admires for his ease in the kitchen.

“There’s such a family that’s built,” Cerio said, looking around at the Warwick grads.

Another aspect of the program is the Kids Café, a service that provides meals to at-risk children at 11 sites, the majority of which are based in the greater Providence area. Community Kitchen students daily cook 500 dinners for the children.

“You can give something back while you’re learning,” Hager said.

None of the graduates are positive where their new path will take them but all three plan to pursue careers in the culinary field – a choice Cerio says they are more than qualified for thanks to their training. Looking back on the experience, Cantrell says that she’s doubted herself along the way but the staff and students at the Community Kitchen believed in her when she needed it most.

“They push you because they see each individual student on what they are capable of only because they know you may not know,” she said.