May 19, 2023 | By Emilie Jacques
Copper Shores Meals on Wheels welcomed Tribin Holbrook to the role of Kitchen Manager in April. Holbrook is excited to help create even better food for seniors and find ways to continually improve nutrition and flavors, as well as revamp the menu and expand it to include bakery.
“His enthusiasm and ability to work in a team is perfect for this environment,” Meals on Wheels Program Director Kathleen Harter said. “We have a strong positive working environment and he fits in extremely well.”
Holbrook’s role will be varied on a day-to-day basis, including tasks like reviewing the menu to ensure that it’s nutritionally balanced, helping train new staff, scaling meals, ordering food and supplies, overseeing kitchen operations, and supervising kitchen staff, including cooks, packers, and food preppers. In addition, Holbrook steps in wherever and whenever he is needed, taking on routes when regularly scheduled drivers are unavailable, doing dishes so the others can continue to work, and adjusting plans effectively on the fly due to inclement weather.
Holbrook has nearly a life-time of experience, starting as a dish boy at 12 years old, and later cooking through his teens. Nineteen years ago, after a decade break to pursue other careers, Tribin moved to the Copper Country and took on a variety of jobs including cooking for local restaurants, Baraga Correctional Facility and Finlandia University before being hired full-time as the Meals on Wheels Kitchen Manager.
“When I first started working here, I asked myself ‘Is this all true, are all these people really this nice?’” Holbrook said. “It really is the way it is. We’re doing something more than just making a living. They’ve made it easy to really buy into the mission.”
It is clear that through his time in the Copper Country Holbrook has truly connected with people in the food industry and displays an enthusiastic desire to provide the best for seniors.
Copper Shores Meals on Wheels serves Houghton and Keweenaw counties with meal deliveries and congregate meal sites throughout the region. If you’re interested in learning more about Meals on Wheels, signing up for services or seeing employment opportunities to join the team, visit coppershores.org/mealsonwheels.
