by Robert Jacobi Interface Board Member
Managing Director, Main Course California
I have lived, studied, and worked in many countries, and each place taught me something different. My primary passions in life are the art of catering, managing chefs who create delicious food, and playing classical guitar, but I also love to help those who are less fortunate than me and social services have been part of my life for many years.
In the culinary world, proper training is the key to success; and in social services, prevention can be the solution. I studied hotel management in Geneva, Switzerland, worked at the Hotel du Rhone, and was certified at the Cordon Bleu. Soon, I found myself catering high-profile events at the United Nations and the Academy Awards. My European training motivated me to set newer and higher standards of quality, and I learned that a crisis is a turning point, and not always a tragedy. Violence is cyclical, and those who have experienced violence or abuse often perpetuate those dynamics in their own families. However, in social services and crisis intervention, we have the chance to treat immediate problems, but also to end the cycle of violence one person at a time. Prevention is the cure, and prevention is the future.
In 2001, my family spearheaded the KiD (Kind in Duesseldorf) initiative in Germany. My family has been involved in this initiative for the past 10 years, and my father gives me updates to this day. KiD primarily supports care institutions for children who have a history of physical, psychological or sexual abuse. When the experience of violence is continuous and becomes an element of daily life, this is extremely dangerous for a child. We must interrupt the cycle and patterns of violence as soon as possible. Situated in the heart of the city of Duesseldorf, the KiD center provides children with new perspectives by temporarily separating the child from unhealthy family or home dynamics, and creating space for them to explore their feelings, memories, and begin healing.
After completing my studies, I moved to Los Angeles and then Carpinteria, where I accepted a job at the Ojai Valley Inn. I fell in love with Southern California and decided to start my own catering business, Main Course California, in 2008. I met one of the directors of Interface, Marti DeLaO, while attending a Rotary Club meeting in Ventura. We discussed my family’s involvement with KiD in Germany, and I discovered that Interface also acts on the principle that prevention is the future. Interface is one of the only local organizations offering prevention programs for kids and teens to reduce their chances of getting in trouble. I was impressed, and have served on the Interface Board of Directors since April 2011.
Interface has locally pioneered a unique model that offers families and kids a one-stop shop to meet their needs for support, called the Family Resource Center (FRC). Currently there are two in operation, one in Santa Paula and one in Oxnard. Domestic violence and child abuse counseling, parenting support, guitar and art classes, mental health assistance and youth leadership activities are just some of the services available at the Santa Paula FRC. The children who go there often refer to it as simply “El Centro” or “The Center.” That home-like atmosphere is essential for breaking the cycle of violence. Every child who experiences safety and empowerment there could someday become a parent who knows that they have made it through the worst, and that they can handle any struggle that they face.
I would like to see more centers like KiD and Family Resource Centers formed over time. The value of giving kids a “home away from home,” a place where they can go and know they can trust everyone there, heal from past abuse and prevent future violence, is immeasurable. Prevention should be a main ingredient in any successful recipe for hope, healing, stronger families and communities.
