Jamie thought cooking was going to be complicated—until she began coming to Second Harvest’s Community Classes in The Kitchen. Jamie’s mom Christine wanted to find an activity that she and Jamie could do together, and the free cooking classes seemed like the perfect opportunity.
Eighteen-year-old Jamie’s first class in The Kitchen was taught by Chef Laurent, a French chef and restaurant owner who volunteers his time to teach Second Harvest cooking classes monthly. This class piqued Jamie’s interest in food, so she keeps coming back for more.
Jamie said that the classes have made healthy food more accessible for her. She’s learning how to cook fresh ingredients rather than turning to processed foods. “I didn’t realize food was so simple. It’s stuff you could go buy in stores and isn’t so hard to find.”
So far, some of her favorite Kitchen recipes have been oven-roasted potatoes, apple broccoli soup and blackberry crumble—which her husband asked her to make again after she brought some home from the class. And of course, now Jamie knows how.
To Christine, it’s important that Jamie learn how to prepare food for her family—especially now that Jamie has a six-week-old baby of her own. Christine remembers times when she struggled to feed Jamie and her five older siblings. She had to get creative to stretch food across all their plates—skipping her own at times. “She used to feed all of us, and sometimes she wouldn’t get any food,” recalled Jamie.
In The Kitchen’s Community Classes, Jamie is learning the skills she needs to feed her own family. She has now attended three classes and looks forward to coming to more.
“Now I’m more excited about cooking because I’m learning to cook healthier food that I like to eat.”