IFFS Nutrition Education Programs help build community health, wealth, and security by bringing our neighbors together to EAT, GROW, COOK, SHARE, AND MOVE.
As part of the Inter-Faith Food Shuttle's larger mission to end hunger in our community, IFFS nutrition education programs pioneer innovative solutions to support healthy and food secure communities. We provide training and education that will equip low income communities with the knowledge and skills to access, purchase, prepare, and eat nutritious food on a limited budget. By emphasizing healthy low-cost ingredients and food resource management, our programs empower participants to meet their own food needs and get the most nutrition out of their limited budgets.
NUTRITION PROGRAMS:
COOKING MATTERS
Share Our Strength's Cooking Matters is a cooking-based nutrition education course designed to teach low-income families how to prepare healthy, tasty meals on a limited budget. Professional culinary and nutrition educators volunteer their time and expertise to lead hands-on courses that show adults, teens, and kids how to purchase and prepare nutritious foods in healthful, safe, and tasty ways. This can mean the difference between feeding families for just one night and making sure they have the knowledge, skills, and resources to prepare healthy meals for a lifetime. We coordinate courses at community agencies throughout the Triangle, providing all of the tools needed for classes including visuals, handouts, and cooking equipment and ingredients. Courses meet once a week for six consecutive weeks. Questions? Contact Sarah Paxson at cookingmatters@foodshuttle.org.
Cooking Matters Satellite Partnerships
IFFS is working with community organizations to expand the reach of Cooking Matters. As the Cooking Matters lead partner in North Carolina, IFFS provides targeted support and training to Satellite Partners who wish to facilitate their own classes. A few of our current partners include UNC Center for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention (Orange), NCSU (Wake), Second Harvest Food Bank (Forsyth), Community Nutrition Partnership (Orange), Tarboro Community Outreach (Edgecombe), and Communities in Schools locations throughout North Carolina.
Please contact Jill Brown (Jill.Brown@FoodShuttle.org) if you are interested in becoming a Satellite Partner organization.
FOOD MATTERS
Food Matters is an Inter-Faith Food Shuttle program that empowers low-income families to prepare healthy, tasty meals on a limited budget by introducing people to less common local produce items and educating on how best to select, prepare, and store fresh produce. As Inter-Faith Food Shuttle works to increase access to fresh and local produce in low-income communities, Food Matters ensures that people have the knowledge and skills to utilize it by presenting this information at Inter-Faith Food Shuttle Mobile Markets. Questions? Contact Katherine Moser at katherine.moser@foodshuttle.org.
COOKING MATTERS AT THE STORE
Cooking Matters at the Store is a guided grocery store tour that helps low-income families make healthy and affordable choices at the supermarket. During a tour, participants practice key food shopping skills such as buying fruits and vegetables on a budget, comparing unit prices, reading food labels, and identifying whole grain foods. Participants also receive handouts and recipes so they can continue practicing what they learn at home and on future trips to the store. Tours are facilitated by a wide range of local volunteers who work as dietitians, community nutrition educators, culinary professionals, extension agents, or staff of community agencies serving families in need. Questions? Contact Sarah Burch at nutrition@foodshuttle.org.
HOW TO GET INVOLVED:
- Lead cooking-based nutrition education courses and demonstrations designed to teach low-income families how to purchase and prepare healthy, tasty meals on a limited budget. Volunteers are needed for Nutrition and Culinary Instructors, Classroom Assistants, Food Demoists, and Food Runners. Backgrounds in culinary arts, nutrition, or education are highly encouraged, but not required for all positions. Translators and Spanish-speaking volunteers needed for ALL positions. Contact Nutrition@foodshuttle.org
- Visit our IFFS Nutrition Education website. Here you will find current volunteer opportunities, descriptions of our programs, a volunteer orientation, highlights from our programs and much more.
- You can also click here to fill out the IFFS volunteer form to receive more information about volunteer opportunities.
