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| We're already thinking of warmer weather at FRESH, with the recruiting for our youth crew and summer internships getting under way. In addition, we're celebrating the start of our new assistant director, five new junior staff members, and a pilot cooking program that we hope will turn into a unique FRESH culinary and nutrition education program. |
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In this issue:
- FRESH youth showcase new cooking skills
- Meet our new assistant director, Sakina King
- Introducing FRESH's new junior staff
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| Top: Youth crew member Manouchka models an apron at the FRESH office. Bottom: Youth crew alumna Katerine stirs a pot of turkey chili during a lesson. |
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| FRESH youth learn cooking skills as part of Cooking Matters pilot |
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FRESH youth are getting their hands dirty in a pilot cooking program in our kitchen. FRESH staff ran a pilot project of the Cooking Matters program with several youth crew members over the course of the past month.
The Cooking Matters program was designed by anti-hunger organization Share Our Strength. It focuses on food shopping tools to stretch lean food budgets, nutrition information and label reading, as well as practical cooking skills for kids, teens and adults. The program also incorporates some discussions about food justice and the structure of the food system.
As part of the pilot, youth tested out recipes from the "teen" edition of the instructional book and reviewed in nutrition label reading and portion sizes. They had a great deal of help with practical cooking skills from New London Community Meal Center Chef Peta Madry, who previously taught cooking classes in the area. In their final week, they took a tour of the New London ShopRite grocery store, where their families shop, with store dietician Sharon DeCessa. Sharon led us on a tour of the store, and then it was time for the youth to show off what they had learned. They put together a dinner of ham and cheese sandwiches, pineapple and chips and salsa for the whole group for under $2.50 per person. It was a great success, and the start of a new, delicious chapter in FRESH's history. |
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Introducing FRESH's new assistant director, Sakina King |
| Sakina has extensive experience in the nonprofit world and is already a familiar face around New London. She comes to FRESH after six years at The Drop-In Learning Center on Broad Street, where she was the administrative director, and several years before that at Connecticut College and Citizens Bank. She is a Connecticut College alumna and a North Stonington resident. Sakina started with FRESH earlier this month. As part of her position, Sakina will be focusing on business development and outreach within the community. She's already hard at work on grant proposals and researching new opportunities for FRESH to stand out and lead on the issue of food justice in and around New London. |
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Interested in supporting FRESH with a tax-deductible donation? |
| | | | | | | New FRESH junior staff, from top to bottom: Stanley, Manouchka, Maria, Luis and Karen. |
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| | New junior staff selected |
| FRESH has hired five local youth as this year's new "junior staff" -- professional agents of food system change. Stanley, Manouchka, Maria, Luis and Karen represent four area high schools -- Grasso and Norwich Technical High Schools, New London High School and New London's Science and Technology Magnet High School and have each been part of the youth crew for a year or more. They come from different backgrounds, but share a common experience with FRESH and passion for the cause of food justice.
We're thrilled to have Maria, Luis, Manouchka, Stanley and Karen on board! They join returning junior staff members Aziza and Julie for what we're sure will be a successful year. The seven of them will work alongside the youth crew this spring to impart their knowledge of the local food system. This summer, they'll help train new youth crew members in practical agriculture projects -- planting, growing and harvesting the food that goes back into the community.
For now, they're already working hard to get this summer's fruits, vegetables and flowers started in the greenhouse even before the ground thaws. Join them (and the rest of the FRESH staff!) at our farm at the Waterford Country School on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. If you're planning on coming, email us first. |
| WANT TO WORK WITH FRESH?
FRESH is recruiting high school students 14 or older to be part of our youth crew. Join us to learn practical agriculture and leadership skills (and earn a stipend!). Seasonal youth crew programs meet during New London school's spring break (April 15-19), the spring season (late April through the end of May) and all summer. Application and program information is available on our website. FRESH is also seeking summer college interns for our youth crew program and for our farm. |
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