Family & After School Program Cooking Classes

Food insecurity and access to basic needs

Expand existing project, program, or initiative (expanding and continuing ongoing, successful work)

We aim to address the intertwined issues of food insecurity and familial disconnect, which hinder youth development and educational success. Many families lack the resources and knowledge for safe, nutritious cooking, leading to poor health and reliance on unhealthy food options. This exacerbates food insecurity and impacts health. The absence of shared family activities, like cooking and dining together, weakens family bonds and communication, affecting mental health and community safety. Our program provides culinary education to youth and their families, fostering healthy habits, teamwork, and STEAM skills. By engaging families in cooking, we reconnect them, creating a supportive environment where children can thrive, share their accomplishments, and focus on their education. Accounting for foster and systems-impacted youth in our schools, we can provide support to some of the most vulnerable members of our community, ensuring their access to basic needs and mental health support.

Our program addresses food insecurity, community safety, health care access, K-12 STEAM education, and mental health. By starting with elementary-aged youth and their families, we ignite an interest in cooking and teach safe practices. Our 10-week program builds culinary skills, confidence, and community through collaborative meal preparation, integrating STEAM concepts like mixing, measuring, and reading.
The program comes together in a family cooking event, bridging the gap between in-class learning and home application, which is so often lost in these services and impacts provided. This engagement brings families back to the dinner table, fostering communication, where youth can share accomplishments, and parents can exchange knowledge and lessons, which strengthens family bonds, and mental health at the core of the homes.
Our approach tackles two of the biggest school-related issues for youth, being hunger and home challenges. By equipping families with culinary skills and encouraging regular family meals, creating a supportive home environment. This reduces hunger and enhances stability, allowing students to focus and succeed academically. Overall, our initiative holistically addresses key issues, promoting long-term success for youth both at home and in school. Our impacts touch, community, family, individual, mental health, physical health and so much more. Through our love of food, we can change the world one meal at a time.

If our work is successful, Los Angeles County will see significant positive changes. Expanding our program countywide, particularly within vulnerable communities, will reduce food insecurity as families gain skills to prepare nutritious meals, leading to better health outcomes. Regular family cooking activities strengthen family bonds and enhance communication.
Our programming touches on STEAM practices, fostering students' interest in science, technology, arts, and mathematics. The supportive environment will improve mental health for youth and their families, reducing stress and fostering healthier individuals.
Community safety and cohesion will increase as families and neighbors work together, building trust and support. By targeting foster and systems-impacted youth, we will provide essential resources and mentorship, ensuring these vulnerable populations thrive. Ultimately, our holistic approach will create a healthier, more connected, and resilient Los Angeles County.

We measure our success through participant feedback and tangible outcomes. Families share their experiences making meals from our kits, demonstrating practical application. In our after-school programs, we track pre- and post-program quizzes to see improvements in food safety, healthy food choices, and knowledge of plant-based proteins. A significant milestone is our first student expressing a desire to become a chef. Through partnerships with other community based organizations, we helped him join a program to further his skills and potentially secure scholarship funding for culinary school. These indicators show that our program effectively addresses the issues of food insecurity and educational engagement, confirming that our approach is impactful and aligned with our goals.