Cooking Matters at Acord Food Pantry

HAMILTON, Mass. – March 2017 – Acord Food Pantry recently partnered with Appleton Farms and Cooking Matters to run a Cooking Matters class, thanks to a grant from the North Shore United Way (NSUW) Women in Action Committee.

Eight Acord families participated in the six-week long program. When the instructor asked everyone why they were there, they all said they want to make better choices for themselves and their families. “The instructors made an educational class into a fun experience, and I have already incorporated the lessons I learned both at home and in my job,” said Tony, a participant in the class and a cook at a local homeless shelter. “Learning how to navigate the grocery store to find the healthiest food choices and how to modify recipes to take advantage of sale items has made a positive impact in my life. I also learned safe cooking methods, like how to properly cut vegetables, and have shared these skills with the young teens at the shelter to keep them protected in the kitchen. Healthy cooking is fun, and it feels good to cook healthier for myself, using fresh vegetables and ingredients that go light on my budget.”

Share Our Strength’s Cooking Matters Massachusetts empowers families with the skills to stretch their food budgets so their children get healthy meals at home. It partners with community organizations such as Acord and Appleton Farms and volunteer culinary and nutrition instructors to offer six-week cooking courses and one-time grocery store tours to participants. Through Cooking Matters programming, participants learn to shop smarter, use nutrition information to make healthier choices, and cook delicious, affordable meals.

Appleton Cooks! is a year-round program offered by Appleton Farms and designed for people who love food – whether you’re a beginning cook or a practiced chef. Offerings include cooking classes and workshops, one-of-a kind Dinners in the Field, and casual Friday Farm Dinners—all featuring seasonal food fresh from the Appleton Farm fields and other local farms. Appleton Farms is located in Hamilton and Ipswich, Mass.

About Acord Food Pantry

The Acord Food Pantry in Hamilton, Mass. has provided food assistance to residents of Hamilton, Wenham, Ipswich and several nearby communities since 1991. A non-denominational, non-profit grassroots organization staffed by more than 100 local volunteers, Acord is a partner of the Greater Boston Food Bank (GBFB) and the North Shore United Way, and a member of the North Shore Hunger Network.