Veteran finds healing through pop-up bakery
A veteran has opened a pop-up bakery in Santa Cruz, using baking as a form of healing from PTSD.
"I really believe you taste with your eyes first," Justin Lenorovitz said.
Justin Lenorovitz is doing what he does best鈥攂aking in the kitchen.
"Being a young black kid, I was immediately disconnected from my foster home and didn't have many options, so I joined the army right away. I figured that was my best choice," Lenorovitz said.
He spent his 20th birthday in Afghanistan, where he got injured.
"I was fortunate to recover, and I still do have long-lasting permanent issues, and PTSD does take a whole," Lenorovitz said. "I was like, man, I really enjoy this, and with the help of my neighbors I felt that I could actually start a small business and see how it goes."
Through the Vet Apprenticeship Program Semper Fi and America's Fund, Justin was able to get the assistance he needed to get proper business training, but the program also helped fund his culinary training in France.
"The apprenticeship program meets those veterans just like the case manager's do right their at whatever their business level is, education is, talent is we try and provide them education, resources training and we also grant them money to help them a long their entrepreneurial journey," said Casey Fisher, senior director of Semper Fi & America's Fund.
The program allowed him and his wife, Stephanie, to open up their small business, Spontaneous Confections, which launched in 2023.
"I can feel a lot of my pain being turned into fertilizer," Lenorovitz said. "My business to me is more than just baking; it's definitely how I express myself. It's been something in my life that has given me more control of how I feel, especially within myself."