The founders behind a mobile food truck that provides food assistance to area residents say they have finally found a permanent home for a facility to help train members of the disabled community for culinary careers.

The Torch was founded in 2012 by Rhonda Callahan and Sarah Ruddle, who outfitted a food truck and soon hit the streets of the Livingston County area serving free food. In 2015 they founded Torch 180 after noticing gainful employment was a big problem for many of their disabled clients who lacked opportunities to learn skills that could get them hired. Almost immediately they began to search for a permanent location with a commercial kitchen, using a variety of temporary facilities in the meantime. But as of Wednesday that search came to an end as Ruddle and Callahan say they were able to pay cash for their new permanent location, which is the old Fowlerville Library building at 131 Mill Street.

Callahan says once they get the old library retrofitted and equipped, which they hope will be by next summer, they will become a satellite campus for the Michigan Career and Technical Institute, based in Plainwell, near Kalamazoo. MCTI trains individuals with disabilities to achieve industry standards in a variety of employment opportunities. They plan to show off their new location to the public on December 1st during Christmas in the Ville. (JK)