Some exciting things have been happening in our Kids Cafe world. With the addition of four new Kids Cafes at the Boys & Girls Clubs in Jersey City, Paterson and Hoboken and the after-school program at the Lady of Liberty Academy in Newark, we now have 10 Kids Cafes serving free evening meals five days a week to approximately 1,000 low-income children.
But a nourishing meal is only one part of the Kids Cafe program.
We recently partnered with the Junior League of Plainfield, along with support from some local businesses, to host a Kids in the Kitchen event for 30 children from our Kids Cafe at Unified Vailsburg Service Organization. This nutrition education initiative, created by the Association of the Junior League International as a response to the dramatic increase in child obesity, helps children realize the importance of healthy living and maintaining an active lifestyle.
“I didn’t know exercising could be this fun!” said one of the kids during the first session which emphasized high-energy, easy-to-do activities like jumping rope, tumbling and simple stretching that didn’t require expensive equipment to get the heart pumping.
For the second session, the kids gathered in the FoodBank’s demonstration kitchen while Executive Chef Paul Kapner talked about the importance of healthy eating and portion control. He illustrated these concepts using an assortment of nutritious foods like wheat bread, cheese, fresh vegetables and fruit, turkey slices, and granola.
The children took what they learned and prepared their own healthy lunches and snacks, followed by an art activity to encourage nutritious food choices.
At the end of the day, each child took home a backpack filled with a cookbook, coloring book, tee shirt, and stuffed animal.
Click here to learn more about our Kids Cafe Program. |
