The Community Kitchen provides the social atmosphere of connecting people by sharing a meal together, promoting social interactions on a friendly, more personal basis. By having several individuals of varying ages and social backgrounds, individuals are exposed to the issues in their community, thereby gaining more community awareness.
Started in 2013 by the MD of Sprit River, the Community Kitchen, offers seniors in the area a chance to meet twice a month to cook, bake, share recipes and best of all to make and renew friendships. In 2014 young moms and youth from local schools were invited to come and learn how to cook for a family on a budget, support each other’s learning and development of life skills such as what is nutritious, how to cook and prepare food properly, and how to store food safely. In recent months favourite recipes were shared, and explored many new soup, pasta, lasagna, dessert and much more options. The wonderful part of this program is these dishes are portioned for individuals to purchase at a nominal fee to take home.
This has been positive within the community, providing seniors with an added social event with purpose in serving their community, and has made more people aware of what others can offer in social support.
Youth who participate feel more connected within the community and benefit from the wisdom and patience of the seniors while gaining necessary life skills. Many individuals have developed positive relationships with others within the region, building a broader base of support for each other, and has provided a positive influence on surrounding communities as they have decided to develop their own local community kitchens with the same aspects of cooking with youth.
The Community Foundation is proud to support the Community Kitchen with grants from the Community Impact Funds, knowing these funds are creating a stronger bond among citizens living in the MD of Spirit River.