Holland, MI — Community Action House (CAH) is pleased to accept handmade aprons from local seniors, to be used in the new Demo Kitchen at the Food Club & Opportunity Hub.
Left to right: Peg Van Grouw, Barbara Neevel, Linnie Cross (the team leader!), Myra Karachy, Sally John, Sunny Boeve, Chara Bouma-Prediger(Community Action House Food Access Manager)
Peg Van Grouw volunteered with Community Action House’s VITA (Volunteer Income Tax Assistance) program in 2020, and wanted to find a way to stay involved. During a recent trip to CAH’s recently opened Food Club & Opportunity Hub, she saw volunteers wearing bright, colorful aprons while they served. Hearing about CAH’s upcoming effort to launch healthy eating and nutrition classes at their on-site demonstration kitchen, Peg stepped forward with an offer. Soon, a group of friends and neighbors at Freedom Village were all sewing custom aprons for cooking class participants, with support from a Hope Academy of Senior Professionals (HASP) service grant. Ten volunteers worked to design and sew 20 aprons, which will be used by guests during cooking classes in the demonstration kitchen.
The Food Club & Opportunity Hub opened last October, located in the former Yff’s neighborhood grocery location at 739 Paw Paw. In just five months of service, over 1,200 qualifying low-income families have already benefited from the Food Club’s membership-based program that provides healthy food access via a grocery store-style experience.
Located in the adjacent Opportunity Hub, the demonstration kitchen was designed to provide a unique venue to provide cooking and nutrition education for Food Club members. Jennifer Ramos recently joined the CAH team as Healthy Eating Program Coordinator, and is excited to launch the community-enhancing, educational pathways for guests in the coming weeks.
“Our healthy eating programming will allow us to spread healthy eating education within our community and to Food Club guests. We are excited to offer culturally diverse demonstrations, hands on cooking classes, healthy meal kits, tastings, and increase our community partner engagement. Our goal is to provide the necessary tools to have a healthier lifestyle” - Jennifer Ramos, Healthy Eating Program Coordinator
Cooking classes will cover healthy eating tips, cooking techniques, and recipes for members with health/dietary restrictions. Combined with Food Club’s emphasis on fresh fruit and vegetables, as well as healthy meal kits and tasting stations, these classes are another way to partner with guests to achieve individual and community goals around increasing healthy eating habits for all of our neighbors. Food Club improves access by addressing cost and convenience barriers to healthy eating, and these classes will address cooking knowledge barriers - especially for guests considering how to cook with new-to-them ingredients.
Along with fresh produce, meat, and dairy, the Food Club & Opportunity Hub aims to provide the tools and resources members need to achieve both food access and financial stability. Guests can shop, then stop in at the Opportunity Hub, where Resource Specialists are available to connect them to financial education services, foreclosure prevention, and other community resources.
About Community Action House
Community Action House is a locally-founded, locally-funded nonprofit with a mission to provide families and individuals with food, clothing, shelter and the opportunity to build necessary skills to achieve a stable and prosperous life. Founded in 1969, the 501(c)3 nonprofit serves the Ottawa and Allegan County community from a base in Holland, offering several programs, including their Food Club, Community Kitchen, Resource Navigation, Financial Wellness & Homeownership, and Homeless Outreach efforts. Learn more and get involved at www.communityactionhouse.org. Food Club is a 2021 expansion of Community Action House’s service offerings. More on the Food Club model can be found at www.hzfoodclub.org.
Media Contact:
Katy Russner-Travis | katyrt@communityactionhouse.org | (616) 392-2368 ext. 140 | Community Action House | 739 Paw Paw Drive, Holland ,MI 49423
