Back in his Army days, Chef Michael Gropper used to rustle up meals to keep soldiers alive.

But in a tiny kitchen inside Denver’s American Legion Post No. 1 at I-25 and Yale Avenue, the brawny, mission-driven Brooklyn native now teaches veterans not only how to prepare mire poire properly, but also how to feed their souls.

Gropper, an 8-year Army veteran, classically trained chef and founder of the Full Battle Rattle Deli and the Culinary Arts Boot Camp for Veterans (CABCV), said that, for many veterans, the most challenging part of leaving the service is not the silence – but more so “finding what to do with your hands.”

“It’s really just giving them a sense of purpose and mission,” Gropper told The Denver Gazette. “About 69%, if not more, of veteran suicides have to do with a lack of that. You get out of the military, what do you do next? They’re losing that mission, that sense of purpose, that sense of camaraderie and service.”

Gropper, also a former Denver Public Schools teacher, said that’s where he likes to step in – with both boots.

It was a by-chance conversation with a struggling young man at a VA hospital that led Gropper to bring together his culinary expertise, teaching experience and desire to help veterans in need.

Founded in 2019, Gropper’s eight-week culinary arts boot camp is a program that supports homeless veterans and veterans in transition with free culinary training, generously seasoned with the support and camaraderie of others who have also served.

Elijah Charles, a former Marine from Miami, arrived in Colorado and at Gropper’s kitchen through a prison transfer.

Upon his release in 2019, Charles entered the Second Chance Center, a program that works with former convicts, offering employment and career path support. It recommended Charles for Gropper’s culinary program.

Over the years, Charles connected twice with Gropper regarding the culinary program.

In 2023, he enrolled.

“We had a brief conversation about the expectations and the process of the program,” Charles said. “Loved what I heard, and haven’t looked back since.”

Charles graduated in January of 2024 and currently assists Gropper in the American Legion kitchen, serving lunch on Tuesdays and Fridays.

Focusing on his future as a Caribbean-themed food truck owner, Charles said everything he learns brings him closer to that dream.

This program is heartfelt, Charles added.

“It’s filled with all those things that we have come to know while in the military – and bringing that camaraderie back is what’s been missing, I know, especially in my life,” Charles said.

The selection process for the program is relatively informal, Gropper said, adding that the idea is to not make it difficult for any interested veteran to participate.

“We may be discharged from service, but we’re really not discharged from each other as veterans,” he said.

The program supplies books, uniforms, bus passes for those who need help with transportation, and sometimes even housing.

“We’ll also provide them with meals,” the chef said. “We have a lot of food in there, so they’ll never go hungry over the eight weeks they’re here.”

Expectations to stay in the program remain high.

Just like in the military, students must arrive on time, be clean, and progress in their training accordingly.

Mise en place, a French culinary term for “everything in its place,” is a foundational element of the program and term Gropper uses frequently. 

The concept translates nicely for veterans who feel less anxious in an organized and structured environment.

But while not everyone completes the program, Gropper said he’s OK with that.

“My place is not to make everyone a chef,” he said. “People come through the program and, sometimes, it’s really just an opportunity to figure out what the hell you want to do. Great, you wanna be a chef? Be a chef. That’s what I want, but I can’t hold on to that.”

However, some, including Charles, have gone on to take positions in local restaurants.

Gropper said he hasn’t drawn a paycheck in close to five years, citing that several of the grants that previously helped fund CABCV have dried up.

But much like the Marine Corps, “adapt and overcome” has become a necessary strategy.

The nonprofit culinary program now runs on donations and proceeds from catering, though its Full Battle Rattle Deli, staffed by CABCV students, serves up traditional Brooklyn-style deli sandwiches, platters and buffets.

The deli serves the general public, as well as military and veteran organizations.

Interested veterans or agencies hoping to place veterans should visit the CABCV website at https://culinaryartsbootcampforveterans.org/ 

“This is a hand up, not a hand out,” Charles said of the program. “Be prepared to earn, just like you did while you’re in the military. If it’s not in your heart, honestly, you’re not going to get the fulfillment that chef is offering, and that’s what he’s offering. He’s offering fulfillment.”