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s we come to the end of nine weeks packed with Kids Can Cook sessions, we have been enjoying celebrating the many success stories that have been shared with us over the past couple months. We always enjoy the kids’ enthusiasm and eagerness to learn, but it is also great to see how that spreads to the rest of their family as well.
One mom e-mailed us the weekend after her son had attended a session and said, “My son took this class for the first time this summer and loved it! He came home so excited to make and try new foods. I appreciate everyone involved in this program and hope it’s available for many years to come. Thank you all so much!”
Another mom told us, “I am so impressed by my daughter’s new-found interest in helping plan and prepare family meals! She was even making suggestions for substitutions when we couldn’t find the right ingredient at the store. I hope many more children will have the opportunity to attend Kids Can Cook in the future!”
New Partnerships
While our Nutrition Assistants have been busy in the kitchen with kids, I have spent the better part of the last month making a lot of new connections with community organizations in all four of our district counties. There have been many great conversations regarding what a partnership between these organizations and the EFNEP or SNAP-Ed program might look like. From those conversations, we’ve already started some new programming and are excited for the additional potential that has been discovered.
In Pittsburg, we have initiated a new partnership with the Women’s Renewal House, a reintegration program for women who are recovering from addiction. This 13-bed facility will provide a great opportunity to graduate women from our EFNEP program, further preparing them to take care of their families upon the completion of their treatment. They will be focusing on nutrition, meal planning, grocery shopping and basic kitchen skills.
We have also partnered with Penn Terrace, a 100-unit affordable senior housing community in Independence, to offer SNAP-Ed programming to their residents starting later this summer. This will provide residents with vital social interaction and engagement while also empowering them with the knowledge and skills necessary to make nutritious and cost-effective choices when shopping, cooking and eating.