CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- A Chicago police officer is giving back to the community in a different way.
Kenneth Griffin went to cooking school when he graduated from Dunbar Career Academy on the South Side. At one point, he worked as a chef at a Disney World hotel.
Griffin said he always believed in the power of mentorship. The protests over the police shooting of Lawquan Mcdonald nearly 10 years ago inspired Griffin to make another career change.
"As a police officer, I saw there was a need for people who wanted to create change in the community, so I applied to become a police officer."
As a police officer, he founded No Matter What as a way to continue mentoring youth. The non-profit has programs to support Chicago Public Schools students in their career goals within the restaurant and hospitality industry through mentorship and job training.
"The world has created this environment where we are repairing broken men, but I say all the time it's easier to build strong children than repair broken men," Griffin said.
More than 100 CPS students will cater No Matter What's fundraiser on March 17. In 2023, the Culinary Futures event raised over $67,000 for the organization.
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