Becca Story the Registered Dietitian from the New Hampshire Food Bank asked me to be a Nutrition Instructor and Chef by teaching a few 6-week Cooking Matters classes at various locations in New Hampshire including: The New Outlook Teen Center and The Upper Room Family Resource Center. Cooking Matters is a national cooking based nutrition program created by Share Our Strength and locally hosted by the NH Food Bank. Through this program I was able to see first hand how the lack of nutritious food can negatively impact New Hampshire families. I also saw how I could directly contribute to the improvement of these families lives. Key characteristics of being a volunteer for OFL is patience, understanding, determination, and empathy because the audience doesn’t always hold nutrition as a priority or feel that they can accomplish healthy living on a limited income. This was a very rewarding experience to teach with two other adults and make a difference in my community.
· Facilitated classes for low-income individuals on how to select, purchase, and prepare nutritious meals
· Taught participants cooking skills while providing nutrition education and food budgeting strategies
· Trained with the NH Food Bank’s registered dietitian on the education tools and skills needed to teach unsupervised groups
