Celebrating Russell Ketzler
It was just last fall when Russell Ketzler found himself in the ICU from alcohol poisoning, having hit rock bottom in his struggle with addiction.
“They discharged me on September 26, 2020. I had to pick up my car on the other side of town and took a taxi over. In that cab, I said to myself, ‘Russell, you have a major choice to make in life. You can continue using, or you can sober up.’ So I checked myself into an inn for a personal sobriety lockdown.”
From there, Russell called doctors and therapists to get back on treatments for his bipolar disorder and to start getting his life back on track. Through AID Upstate, he got affordable housing and the added benefit of living in a facility that doesn’t allow for drugs or alcohol. Then, he set his sights on Project Host.
There was a natural affinity to the culinary school, because in between stints as a personal care giver to elderly patients and working on various construction projects, Russell had an extensive career working in the restaurant industry in establishments ranging from Starbucks to fine dining. Below is a conversation with Russell about what exactly brought him to Project Host, what he’s learned, and what he hopes to do in the future.
How did you learn about the culinary program at Project Host? What made you sign up?
I decided I needed something to do. I can’t sit around. So I checked out Project Host and actually was signed up to volunteer in the Soup Kitchen in early January. Then Michelle contacted me and told me I could be part of the culinary program.
What’s been the best part of your experience in the Project Host culinary school?
My situation after everything that had happened in the fall was a lack of confidence and not being able to deal with large groups of people. The choice was very much, do I go back to work, or don’t I? I had to be very honest with myself and say, “I can’t do it.” I needed something without the stress and to gradually feel my way back into being able to work.
Chef Marianne has been fantastic in the fact that you don’t feel judged, and you are given the amount of time you need to learn. She also does a wonderful job of implementing how she does things without you feeling run over.
What cooking skills did you learn?
A great deal of my restaurant work has been front of house, so being able to be reacquainted with the equipment, times, temperatures, ServSafe, all of that—it’s been tremendously helpful on all levels. Even just building up my physical stamina has been helpful because, let me tell you, when I checked into that hotel, I was physically and mentally a mess.
What else did you gain from the program?
Another thing that has made this experience grand is my co-students. When you have the fortunate of working with a team that turns around and backs you up and knows what’s going on, it’s amazing.
How do you feel about doing meal prep for Cooking for Kids?
When I found that out and then observed the whole Project Host operation, I thought, “Wow. I had no idea.”
What comes next for you? Is there anything you’re hoping to do specifically with the training you received here?
In the fall of 2021, I’m going back to school at Greenville Tech. I want to get at least two years of transfer credits and then I’ve checked out the University of North Carolina, Asheville, because of their Classics Department, where they offer every subject that interests me. Also, I think I will go into more advocacy. I know that I have a voice, and I have the experiences that I have gone through in my entire life to help people exactly like me.
As to professional plans, we were in a discussion the other day here about what our plans were after this. I was in a therapy appointment recently and two words have come up in my vocabulary: entrepreneur and orchestration. I like bringing a group of people together on the same level to develop ideas, like restaurant concepts. I’d like to bring people together who want to create something and walk them through the steps of doing so, get them to a flagship situation, and then let it go.
(Of Russell’s entrepreneurial spirit, Chef Marianne says: I’ll get emails at 5:30 in the morning from Russell saying, ‘What do you think? Can we do this? I would like to try this.’ Russell had a lot of front-of-house experience, and now he has a lot of kitchen experience. He’s got the guts there, like, the old Italian grandma comes out of him. He is constantly wondering how he can make a dish better or up the ante.”)
Final thoughts?
Regardless of whether I get an internship or not, I very much want to remain a part of Project Host. It’s my time in my life to start giving.
Everyone at Project Host appears to be able to answer your questions. If they can’t, they find someone who can, and they do this in the most polite, endearing, caring way. Everyone here has one thing this nation needs: compassion.
By Claudia Winkler