Long before you saw a food truck on every street corner, there was the Doughy Dog food truck.
It's a social enterprise started by the Arundel House of Hope as a way to provide training and employment opportunities for the homeless. And they cook up some really good hot dogs.
One person you'll find running the mobile kitchen is Oliver Sellman. He's a jack-of-all-trades when it comes to the Doughy Dog. When he's not cooking the hot dogs to the perfect temperature, he's fixing appliances, training the staff and driving the trailer around to different events.
Sellman came to the Arundel House of Hope about six years ago, after spending time in prison and living on the streets. The Arundel House of Hope provides emergency, transitional, and permanent housing as well as support services for the homeless.
"From there I was determined to make something of my life," said Sellman. "And this was the beginning of it, running the Doughy Dog."
Sellman started by working on the truck a few hours a week. Slowly he took on more responsibility and is now the manager of the truck. For him, the food truck provided him a second chance in life.
"Even though we may fall short, we are still accountable to society and can give back through our mistakes," said Sellman. "If we're given the opportunity, we can show that we are available to be of service to the communities if they allow us."
His success story is one the staff sees at the Arundel House of Hope time and time again. They say the Doughy Dog plays a big role in helping their residents get back on their feet.
"It gives them leadership skills, it helps make them managers so they can go on to do bigger and better things," said Mario Berninzoni, the executive director of the Arundel House of Hope.
So with all the hot dog combos out there, we asked what makes the Doughy Dog hot dog stand out. Sellman said without question, it's love.
You can try a Doughy Dog hot dog on Saturday October 3 at the Lake Shore-Severna Park Rotary Club and Pasadena Golf Center's Family Fun Day. It runs from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
