Food Finders Set To Launch Cooking Matters In March

Food Finders Food Bank is relaunching its popular education program with the announcement of a new series, Cooking Matters® by Share Our Strength®. The food bank’s education program which included in-person cooking classes and demos was paused for most of COVID-19.

Cooking Matters is a free, six-week cooking series, offered in communities across the country to help parents and caregivers of children between the ages of 0-5 develop their skills when shopping for and cooking healthy foods on a budget. Funding for Cooking Matters was granted to Food Finders by the Indiana State Department of Health.

A national study by the Altarum Institute (2015) of more than 1,600 Cooking Matters participants showed they:

• Had more confidence in cooking abilities

• Saw fewer barriers to making healthy, affordable meals

• Were able to prepare healthier, more budget-friendly meals

In each class, participants will learn about cooking, meal prep, grocery shopping, food budgeting, and nutrition in a fun, hands-on environment. Classes will take place every Thursday evening from 6 PM – 8 PM starting March 10 and running through April 14. Each class participant will take home free groceries and recipes matching each lesson. They will practice hands-on cooking with healthy, low-cost, and delicious recipes.

Class size is limited. Eligible participants must be a parent or caregiver to a child between the ages 0-5. Interested applicants should apply by March 4 by calling 765.471.0062 x1218 or emailing [email protected].

Food Finders began its education program in 2017 as part of the food bank’s initiative to offer wrap-around services designed to help people facing hunger from falling further into poverty. Each month the program provides 20-30 classes on a range of topics that cover general wellness, nutrition, financial literacy and job and career prep. Classes are free and open to the public. For more information, visit https://www.food-finders.org/classes/.