This article was written by Bronx Health REACH partner BCAGlobal.
In April 2022, BCAGlobal completed its hybrid Food Demonstration Workshop training program, elevating eight Food Security Leaders’ ability to prepare donated healthy food and developed the skills to create food demonstrations to be shared with their communities.
We cannot overstate that the success of our program was due in part to our collaboration with The Institute for Family Health and the Bronx Health REACH Coalition, which has worked tirelessly to address health disparities in The Bronx. Since 2009, The Bronx has ranked as having the lowest health index of any of the other 61 counties in New York State. The Institute for Family Health has been a founding member of the #Not62 campaign and has helped lead this grassroots movement in the Bronx by addressing health inequalities, promoting health education, and advancing systems and policy change that center on health and wellness.
Food banks throughout the Bronx are doing the difficult work of sourcing food to provide for their communities. Our Food Demonstration Workshop targeted the need to train food-system leaders on how to prepare these foods in a nutritious way and how to present these recipes to their wider community. Leaders in our program learned how to prepare and perform demonstrations on how vegetables such as butternut squash, asparagus, and kale can be prepared in a nutritious and satisfying way. We believe engaging communication and education are essential to getting these nutritious foods integrated into people’s daily lives.
Graduates of our program took food items they often see donated to their organizations and created healthy and accessible recipes that community members can use to feed their families. We are inspired by all the recipes that were created, like the Southwest Collard Green Wrap, Curried Chickpea and Avocado Salad, and the Fresh Salsa Crudo over Toasted Italian Bread. The workshop’s mission was to encourage participants to present their recipe demonstrations with love, excitement, and encouragement to try something new and healthy.
We are incredibly grateful to have worked with all of the participants of the Food Demonstration Workshop and we are looking forward to following their continued journey of supporting the health and wellness of their communities. Workshop graduate Stephanie Cataquet, Assistant Director of Community Health Initiatives at New Settlement shared with us her main takeaway from the course, “Food can lead to community connections. Breaking bread over a good healthy meal is a great way to grow community and grow food independence.”
A special thank you to our Food Demonstration Workshop Graduates: Mary Ikpali from RCCG Chapel of Restoration, Henrietta Osagie from RCCG Chapel of The Great Restorer, Gladys Roman from Manna of Life Ministries, Kassandra Campbell from Jamaica Benevolent Arm & Cultural Center, Jewel Webber from Be Soaked in Prayer, Stephanie Cataquet from New Settlement Community Center, Iraida De Jesus from Jardin de la Familia Community Garden Green Thumb, and Fatima Cabrera from St. Helena Catholic Church.
A big thank you as well to our partners and collaborators: Lenise Lee-Streeter, The Institute for Family Health/Bronx Health REACH especially Kelly Moltzen, Chef Tania Lopez, and Diana Bernal, as well as St. Helena Catholic Church.
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