Thanks to Mandy Boatright, April 2011 FSTP Grad and Food Pantry Coordinator for North Beach Citizens Association, for sharing these thoughts on her recently completed workshop.
Leah’s pantry brought not only knowledge about food to my clients but also created bonds with the attendees and myself. These classes are very informative and easily adaptable to all lifestyles. I target SROs and homeless in North Beach. My clients depend weekly on the food we provide at the food pantry, so we adapted each class to use only what they would receive for free that week. We also did a lot of sharing of cooking tips, best places to buy food and supplies, how to use coupons and how to make cooking plans for the week. I know some of these ideas are simple, but to someone overwhelmed with all other aspects of life they need to have guidance to start them back on the right track.
This program is awesome because it not only teaches a more healthy lifestyle, it shows that the clients do have control over some parts of their lives. By the end of the course, I noticed not only a more confident outlook over food choices but a boost in self-esteem knowing they made the changes on their own. Thank you Leah’s pantry for helping my clients (and me) have the confidence and knowledge we need to live a healthy life.
Mandy Boatright
Food Pantry Coordinator