San Diego County CA—Volunteers of America Southwest (VOASW), a nonprofit, faith-based organization with a mission to change the lives of vulnerable individuals by providing services and tools to improve their quality of life, has named Eric Light as a new chef to its team.
Chef Light strives to provide the best quality meals to Volunteers of America Southwest’s programs by maximizing donated food from sources such as Costco and the San Diego Food
Bank. He oversees a staff of 15 in the preparation and delivery of 2,400 meals per day. The VOASW kitchen serves two adult living facilities, four charter schools that combine to make up eight sites and three senior daycare centers. These include:

• VOASW’s Renaissance Treatment and Rehabilitation Center
• VOASW’s Carlton Luhman Center for Supportive Living
• Integrity Charter School
• Urban Corp Charter School
• Heartland Charter School
• Albert Einstein Charter School
• 3 George C. Glenner Alzheimer’s FamilyCenters

Chef Light comes to Volunteers of America Southwest after 5 years at Barona Resort where he started as a line cook. While working at Barona as an apprentice, he obtained a degree from the American Culinary Federation. He also holds a culinary degree
from the Cordon Bleu, Scottsdale.
Chef Light placed 3rd place in the American Culinary Federation’s Western Regional Food and Hospitality Expo contest, where he beat several more senior chefs. In addition, he was part of the culinary team that opened the Cheesecake Factory in Marina Village.