Zenger Farm’Community Chef Programsupports women food leaders to nourish and strengthen their communities by sharing food, knowledge and solidarity. Between October of 2017 and June 2018, 889 adults and children participated in 22 events hosted by Community Chefs at Zenger Farm.
ThePGE Foundation– the corporate foundation of Portland General Electric – provided critical funding to strengthen this program and help make these positive connections possible. The PGE Foundation supports organizations that use preventive approaches to help families create stable environments where children can grow and thrive.
One of the Foundation’s areas of emphasis is food insecurity. By sharing recipes and inviting participants into the Zenger Farm kitchen and gardens, Community Chefs increase access and connection with nutritious food and social support. Currently, Community Chefs hail from El Salvador, Mexico, Philippines, Bhutan and Nepal, Vietnam, Jamaica and China.
About 60% of participants in Community Chef events are part of SNAP or an emergency food program. From our participant surveys, respondents said that they learned new ways to cook vegetables and most participants said that they felt that participating in cooking workshops has improved their or their loved ones’ physical, mental, and emotional health.
One of our partners, ROSE CDC, recently highlighted Elsa San Juan’s leadership as both a ROSE resident and a Community Chef. Elsashared, “For me, the [Community Chef program] is very important because I can share my Mexican recipes. Talking about my culture, but also using vegetables to eat healthy.”
We thank PGE Foundation for collaborating with us in support of the Community Chef Program and we look forward to incorporating community input to improve our work in the coming year.