Everyone in the world needs food. And this gives us a shared purpose. Our Community Nutrition Team is committed to building relationships with our partners because we value food and the people who eat it.
For National Nutrition Month, the Community Nutrition Team asked four community partners to share stories about how food connects them to their personal and professional communities. These connections can happen in our Community Kitchen, at a Kids Summer Meals site, or simply at the dinner table with a new friend.
Community Nutrition Manager Belén Rogers recently went to a cooking class led by our community partner Betty Nzau at the Governor Morehead School for the Blind. Ms. Betty takes great care in creating a supportive environment for students with visual impairments. Cooking equipment is set on a tray to help students imagine a clock underneath. Ms. Betty can give instructions on where to use cooking equipment (like at 12 o’clock or 6 o’clock) so students have a spatial awareness of their cooking environment. Food is made with adaptive technology that support people with disabilities. Students prepare ingredients using a microwave with a large knob that can be controlled by voice instructions. Ms. Betty’s accessible cooking classes give students the ability to fully immerse themselves into the joy of cooking.
Belén spoke with Ms. Betty about the power of food and the way cooking connects us all.
“Ms. Betty has shown us that anyone can be a chef with the right resources. Ms. Betty’s gratitude for class ingredients like fruits and vegetables from the Food Bank keeps me excited about our partnership.”
-Community Nutrition Manager Belén Rogers
What does “Food” mean to you?
To me, food means nourishment, comfort, nostalgia, joy, traditions, and culture. I love that you can travel somewhere or to a point in time that brought you joy through food, just like smells can bring you back to a moment in time.
Professionally, how does food connect you to your community or your community to each other?
Food connects me to my community professionally by allowing me to educate and empower others on how to improve their relationship with food and how to use it to treat and prevent disease. It is very rewarding to be able to provide knowledge that my patients, students, or clients can use to improve their health and quality of life.
Personally, how does food connect you to your community?
Food offers an opportunity to connect with my loved ones such as my friends and family. I love sharing a meal with them and bonding with them about food. I noticed food is always present in important moments in life such as in celebrations, family gatherings, and just moments that are wholesome and fill my heart with joy.
“To me, food means nourishment, comfort, nostalgia, joy, traditions, and culture. I love that you can travel somewhere or to a point in time that brought you joy through food, just like smells can bring you back to a moment in time..”
-Betty Nzau, Cooking Instructor, Division of Services for the Blind Career and Training Center
This March, we celebrate National Nutrition Month with our Food Connects Us blog series. The Community Nutrition Team asked four community partners to share stories about how food connects them to their community. Follow the blog series and go to our Youtube page to learn healthy recipes and cooking tips.
