Creating Community With Cooking Matters
Cooking Matters
It was the last day of class and everyone crowded around a small table, laughing and catching up before heading to the kitchen. As they began cooking, the women of this Cooking Matters class eagerly questioned the chef about the root vegetables they were preparing and offered each other tips on crafting their turkey meatloaf.
Six weeks ago, it was a different scene. At the first class, everyone spread out across four tables. They were silent in the minutes before class and hesitant in the kitchen. Most of these women had never met. One young woman was new to town and struggling to meet new people.
Now at the last class, everyone exchanged phone numbers and hugs, and made plans to see each other—maybe even cook together. They snapped photos on their cell phones with their arms around each other and requested pictures of them posing with their graduation certificates.
And the woman who was new to town? She was about to start a temporary job at the county elections office, and requested information about volunteering at Oregon Food Bank. She and two other young women had formed a close bond and were planning on getting together soon.
Later, I read comments the women wrote on their surveys and reflected on what they told me as they left class:
“You gave me my confidence back – learning how to cook has made me feel so much more confident about everything.”
“I learned that I can use basic ingredients and come up with healthy and filling recipes that will bless my family.”
It is both rewarding and inspiring to watch people learn to use knives safely, choose healthy, cost-effective ingredients, and prepare delicious meals over the course of a six-week Cooking Matters class. I have heard stories of families using their newfound shopping skills to stretch their SNAP benefits further, of children asking for seconds of vegetables they always hated. One woman lost 15 pounds and reversed her pre-diabetes.
But this class opened my eyes to how much further Cooking Matters can reach. It was truly amazing to watch the women become friends over their shared experiences in class. The experience of preparing and sharing meals each week made a family of strangers.
I came away with a renewed appreciation for what Cooking Matters accomplishes in the kitchen and the grocery store, but also in participants’ lives. Over the six weeks of class, these women gained confidence in the kitchen and learned valuable budgeting and nutrition information – but even more than that, they became a community.
Erin Carver is a Cooking Matters AmeriCorps member at Oregon Food Bank, where she coordinates Cooking Matters courses and works to raise awareness about food assistance programs in the Portland metro area. She holds a bachelor’s degree in English literature from Lewis & Clark College, but her future education will lead her to a career addressing food insecurity on individual and policy levels. Erin divides her free time evenly between the kitchen and the trails of the Pacific Northwest.

Comments
JANET
FEBRUARY 1, 2013 | 4:11 PM
QUINN.F
MAY 21, 2013 | 3:46 AM
SUE UTTER
FEBRUARY 1, 2013 | 7:11 PM
CHRISTIAN LOUBO...
MARCH 26, 2013 | 12:00 AM
CHEAP CELINE BAGS
APRIL 3, 2013 | 12:14 AM
That should be simple enough to understand with the writing. I also spotted this celine handbags at my local celine usa's store in ivory or coral red (but can't find these online):The coach store online shoe is so iconic it forms the basis for many tanger outlets in modern day. The come with a new version , the coach outlet Dynamic Flywire that is even more lightweight and comfortable.From http://www.cheapcelinebagsusa.com/ celine to getting the Gatsby look, we reveal how to shop the new celine purses...I know they're silly. I never wear cheap celine bags when it's cold out, I can't understand why anyone would buy a pair of suede coach store online sneakers for spring and I cannot, cannot fathom carrying a satin bag before evening.
MCITP
MAY 4, 2013 | 1:14 AM
ANONYMOUS
MAY 13, 2013 | 9:07 AM
http://www.newmichaelkorpurses.com/ michael kors purses outlet
http://www.mk-michaelkoroutlet.net/ michael kors outlet online
http://www.guccishoesoutletsfactory.net/ gucci shoes uk
http://www.northfaceeoutletonline.net/ north face outlet online
http://www.monsteroheadphone.net/ monster headphones outlet
http://www.coach-storesonline2013.com/ coach outlet online
http://coachsfactoryoutletonline.webs.com/ coach factory outlet
http://mcoachoutlet.tumblr.com/ coach purses outlet online coach purses outlet
SNOWSNOW
MAY 14, 2013 | 5:51 AM
ANONYMOUS
MAY 19, 2013 | 1:14 AM
Coach Handbags
having eaten his soupcheap burberry handbags
into the small chamberwholesale designer purses
beneath the roof and facingcoach outlet online
overcome with fatiguecoach outlet coach
was dazed for a momentcheap designer bags
so heavy that he rosecheap designer purses
with the idea of gettingfurla handbags
fresh air before havinggucci handbags
approach of which one feelsgucci wallet
on in great mists whichhermes handbags
the low sky seemed tojimmy choo handbags
of wind now to animatecheap juicy couture handbags
walked straight aheadjuicy couture wallet
already growing gloomy atcheap louis vuitton bags
lantern yet shining fromcheap louis vuitton wallet
to watch the departuremk purses
going away in bandsmk wallet
abusing him becauseprada handbags
quarrel with an overseer overprada wallet
of these beasts who devourroberto cavalli handbags
enough for them toCoach purse
with her eagle nosecoach purses
young people behindcheap handbags purses
who was waiting therecheap handbags and purses
will have something tooutlet coach online
coming out of the screeningcoach online outlet
also coming outcheap coach purses
son taking the main roadcoach purses outlet
spite of her resistance intocheap purses and handbags
wrangled like old housematescheap purses handbags
are no wheatfields topurses and handbags cheap
had reduced his familycheap gucci bags
us if it will amuse youpurses handbags wholesale
getting on at the housewholesale purses handbags
to whom he had promisedwholesale handbags purses
every evening like the fowlshandbags purses wholesale
the thread and drew outhandbags and purses wholesale
franc pieces from cornercheap louis vuitton handbags
profit of the overtimewholesale purses and handbags
your mother decide tochina handbags
for every mouthfulchina purses
spoke with the soft voiceprada bags
it was a sacred promisepurses from china
had got the three piecesbags from china
things to an extreme incoach bags
the winter chamberlouis vuitton outlet
it would not give her anylouis vuitton bags
to the settlement alonelouis vuitton belts
to rejoin his companionlouis vuitton store
without understandingLouis Vuitton Damier bags
for behind the factorieshandbags louis vuitton
hollow into which some largelouis vuitton sunglasses
of you if you want morelouis vuitton louis vuitton handbags
roamed about in the meadowslouis vuitton wallets
and instead of going back tooutlet louis vuitton
and offer the dandelionslouis vuitton handbags
enough to know thatlouis vuitton purses bags
the ardour of businesslouis vuitton men bags
were dividing the profitslouis vuitton monogram bags
credulity which always madelouis vuitton bags handbag
all that money excitedpurses louis vuitton
at your house that youcheap louis vuitton
divide eleven sous intolouis vuitton purses
experienced the fear andlouis vuitton sale
advanced her hand withbags louis vuitton
how to hide them fromlouis vuitton louis vuitton purses
together the love whichlouis vuitton bags purses
games of vicious puppieslouis vuitton wallet
delicious trembling of instinctlouis vuitton bag
received a cuffing whenever http://www.ask.com http://www.yahoo.com http://www.bing.com http://www.google.com http://www.aol.comAdd new comment