Leah’s Pantry is collaborating with the S.F. Department of Disability and Aging Services to provide nutrition education and nutrition counseling services to eligible older adults and adults with disabilities.
Nutrition Education: Food Smarts Workshops
We teach a weekly workshop series using our Food Smarts curriculum at various congregate meal sites and online where participants:
- Learn how to plan tasty, balanced meals
- Discover simple strategies for healthy eating
- Engage in fun activities and cooking demonstrations
Duration: 60 to 90 minutes per workshop, once a week over four to six consecutive weeks (duration can vary by site)
Participation: Participants do not have to attend all workshops but it is highly encouraged!
Eligibility: Participants must be actively enrolled in a DAS-funded program in San Francisco.
To find a congregate meal site, click here.
To learn more about food resources for older adults and people with disabilities, click here.
| WHERE | WHEN | DAY & TIME | LANGUAGE | FACILITATOR |
|
Kimochi Virtual
|
6/5/23 6/12/23 6/26/23 7/3/23 |
Mondays 10:00 – 11:00 p.m. |
English | Eva |
|
Aquatic Park IN-PERSON |
6/5/23 6/12/23 6/26/23 7/3/23 |
Mondays 1:00 – 2:00 p.m. |
English | Dolores |
|
Castro Senior Center In-Person |
6/9/23 6/16/23 6/23/23 6/30/23 |
Fridays 9:30 – 10:30 a.m. |
English | Lura |
|
OnLok 30th st. In-Person |
6/9/23 6/16/23 6/23/23 6/30/23 |
Fridays 11:00 – 12:00 p.m. |
English | Dolores |
|
Mission Neighborhood Center IN-PERSON |
6/14/23 6/28/23 |
Wednesdays 10:30-12:00 p.m. |
Español | Kevin |
If you are interested in hosting virtual or in-person programming or have questions, please get in touch with Lura Jones at lura@leahspantry.org
Nutrition Counseling
Nutrition counseling involves talking one-on-one with a registered dietitian (RD). An RD is a licensed professional trained to provide individualized advice on food and nutrition.
What can clients expect from nutrition counseling?
Clients meet with an RD for up to 1 hour, in which they can receive:
- Dietary advice in maintaining health or managing a medical condition
- Answers to questions related to diet and healthy living
- Support in setting and achieving nutritional goals
- Information on free food resources
How do clients receive nutrition counseling?
Over the phone: Clients referred to nutrition counseling via GetCare will be contacted by one of our RDs over the phone. Clients can expect a phone call within a month of sending the nutrition referral (entered via GetCare).
In-person: A RD can also visit your congregate meal program site and provide counseling for clients in person. For more information, please contact info@leahspantry.org.
All nutrition counseling is currently happening only over the phone. If you are interested in hosting a RD at your site to provide office hours for nutrition counseling, please contact Natasha at info@leahspantry.org.
Meet our Registered Dietitian!
Call one of our RDs during their office hours (see below for specific times and language capacity). If you prefer a language that is not listed here, please email one of our RDs your name, contact, and preferred language and they will contact you with a translator of your preferred language as soon as possible.
Natasha Knoten, RD
(951) 268-2494 | Fridays: 9am-5pm MST
Language capacity: English
Natasha Knoten joined Leah’s Pantry in 2019 as a Registered Dietitian and provides nutrition counseling in a remote setting. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Food Science and Nutrition and completed her internship at Loma Linda University California. Natasha’s 20 years of experience includes research in food science, pediatric nutrition counseling, lactation education, health coaching, and life coaching. Natasha is based in Arizona and enjoys acrylic painting, mosaic art, spending time with her family, and has been an active volunteer in helping people from all walks of life in her community for the past 30 years.
Meet our Workshop Facilitators!
Kevin Madrigal, Chef & Nutrition Educator
Language capacity: English & Spanish
Kevin Madrigal Galindo is a trained Chef and the Nutrition Educator for Food Pharmacy cooking demos and Food Smarts workshops. He is a food justice advocate, a decolonizer of health, and a first-generation Chicano hijo de su madre from Sur San Francisco. In 2016, he co-founded Farming Hope in San Francisco to provide employment opportunities in food for folks experiencing homelessness. He wishes to re-imagine our food system so that every person can access the knowledge and food they desire in a culturally relevant way. In his free time, you can find him cooking vegan enchiladas verdes to highly curated R&B playlists.
Joyce Zhang, Nutrition Educator
Language capacity: English & Chinese
Joyce Zhang joined Leah’s Pantry in 2020. She leads our Chinese Food Smarts workshops and helps participants make healthy eating easier and more fun! She loves eating and cooking delicious food with friends and family while honoring her health and nutrition. She lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her family and enjoys spending time with her son!
Eva Lee, Nutrition Educator
Language capacity: English
Eva earned a B.S. in Dietetics from San Francisco State University. Originating from the California central valley with a background in food, Eva was actively a part of the Chinese restaurant that her family-owned for over 20 years. She thrives on community work and connecting with others through food. In her free time, she loves to sing, dance, bake, and explore different nationalities of food in San Francisco.
Dolores Molina, Nutrition Educator
Language capacity: English & Spanish
Dolores Molina is the project coordinator, nutrition educator and food navigator with our BRIDGE collaboration. She was born and raised in the Bay Area and is passionate about working out in the community and helping others. She earned her B.S. in Health Education from San Francisco State University. Dolores loves spending time with her family which includes cooking and baking goodies with her nieces and nephews.
Sandra Fiz, CFNC, FNLP, Nutrition Educator
Language capacity: English & Spanish
Sandra Fiz, CFNC, FNLP joined the team in June 2022. She is from Spain and lives in the Bay Area since 2015. Through her training and work experience, she has witnessed the power of food and lifestyle modifications, and that knowledge fuels her passion for educating others about how their bodies work and how they can incorporate diet and lifestyle changes in order to lead healthier lives. She is a firm believer that healthier people have the capacity to make a bigger positive impact in the world. She loves spending time with her daughter and husband in the Bay Area woods and having friends over for dinner.
This program serving the community is funded by the City of San Francisco’s Department of Disability and Aging Services