MILWAUKEE (SPECTRUM NEWS) -- At the corner of 35^th and Wisconsin Avenue on Milwaukee’s west side, Yolanda Braxter is in the kitchen of a small restaurant hard at work on a catering order. As she adds mayonnaise  to a large batch of chicken salad, she reflects on how much her employment at Troop Café has done to change her life.

“I have had several bouts of homelessness. At the time I found out about the culinary arts program here, I was four days in to getting an apartment. I had been living in my car,” Braxter says.

Braxter served in the military from 1992 until 1994. After her discharge, she says she struggled with PTSD and numerous other health issues.  However, she always held on to her love of cooking. Braxter is one of several dozen veterans who have benefitted from employment and training at Troop Café. The program, run by the Center for Veteran Issues, provides vets with on the job training to enter the hospitality field. Chef Derek Small, a veteran himself, leads the program.

“Going straight to work and moving into a civilian sector sometimes is not good for veterans because they don’t know how to cope with the ins and outs of what is going on. Our program here gives them that ability to service those issues that are not culinary related, but also to get those individuals back on the path to success that they need," says Small.

Troop Café is open to the public, and proceeds from the food sales go towards funding the culinary training program. If you would like more information about Troop Café, you can call them at (414) 763-7490.