Community Action for Healthy Eating

Community Kitchens

Community Kitchens uses a mutual-aid model. People on low/fixed income empower themselves as they work together to improve their families' food security and healthy eating. A Kitchen is acceptable to people because they have a sense of doing it for themselves. They choose their own group, recipes, times, and places. With Community Kitchens, people can make a choice and they often do not have to endure the stress of going to foodbanks. People feel good because they are doing their part, paying their share, and they end up with food that their kids will eat.

Community Kitchens strengthen social support networks. Also, people learn from each other as they run their Kitchen. For example, a facilitator shares tips and hints while members are cooking and talking. Participants share and gain skills for food selection, preparation, and storage.

In 1992, SPAN's Executive Director read an article about Community Kitchens. SPAN established the concept in Newfoundland. From 1993 onward, the group has supported Kitchens run by single parents and others on low/fixed income. Margaret Harnum was the first facilitator.

In a Community Kitchens project, 4-5 people get together to plan, shop, and cook large batches of several nutritious, heart healthy recipes. There are four steps: orientation, planning day, shopping day, and cooking day. Members bring $2 for every mouth to feed. Sponsors match this money, which makes Community Kitchens a social investment. Sponsors feel good about helping people who are helping themselves.

The orientation is where people start talking about their Community Kitchen. Most Kitchens cook for about 12 people. Planning day is when members decide what they will cook and what they need to buy. People use the Eat to Your Heart's Content cookbook. They also bring in whatever other recipes they want. Shopping day is when they buy ingredients. Cooking day is where they cook, divide the food, and take servings home.