Daryl Walker grew up in a tough environment in New Brunswick, where he faced the challenges of living in a home marked by substance abuse and financial hardship.
“I grew up with my mom and father on drugs,” he recalled. “At around 10 years old I started to get into trouble while I was trying to make enough money just to eat.”
When Daryl was 13, his father passed away. He eventually landed in the juvenile detention center, where he spent most of his teenage years for selling drugs. In 2008, Daryl was arrested under the RICO Act and was faced with a possible sentence of 20 years to life. “I sat in the county jail for about two years just fighting the case,” he said. “I ended up getting sentenced to six years and had to do a mandatory four years in prison.”
At the end of his sentence, Daryl moved into a halfway house in Newark, where he found out about CFBNJ’s Food Service Training Academy. With a passion for cooking – he had cooked for his family as a child – he saw it as an opportunity for a fresh start. After graduating from the program at the top of his class, Daryl secured a job as a culinary assistant at CFBNJ before moving on to work as a chef at Eva’s Village in Paterson.
“I was there for two years before I received a phone call from CFBNJ,” he said. “They offered me a position as an assistant production manager. Of course, I accepted it, CFBNJ is home for me.”
Daryl’s transformation would not have been possible without the support of Kathleen DiChiara, who helped foster a sense of purpose and belonging for people with backgrounds in the justice system. “Kathleen always saw the best in me,” Daryl said. “She was just the type of person that no matter who you are, what you’ve been through in life, she wanted you to be a better person.”
Now, Daryl has worked full-time at CFBNJ since 2016. He currently serves as the Production Manager, overseeing meal production for initiatives that feed thousands of children and seniors in need. His work with CFBNJ is personal, as he serves those facing the same struggles he once did. “It means everything to me. I’m feeding kids and people who were in the same or similar positions that I was in when I was a kid,” he said.
Daryl hopes that one day, the FoodBank won’t be needed, but until then, he remains committed to using his experience to make a difference. “I hope the world becomes a place where no one is hungry,” he said. Through his journey, Daryl has demonstrated that with the right support, it’s possible to turn one’s life around and give back to the community.