Nutrition & Self- Sufficiency

Education and Training Program

 The mission of the Foodbank of the Virginia Peninsula is to distribute food effectively through collaborative efforts that minimize hunger, promote nutrition and self-reliance through education. Because of this statement the Nutrition and Education Department was established. Fourteen years ago, the Foodbank implemented the Nutrition and Education Department to provide training in nutrition and self-sufficiency from school –age children to mature adults. The Foodbank staff and the Board of Directors are proud to announce that this department has become a major component of our mission and the community.    Under the umbrella of the Nutrition and Education Department, we offer a variety of nutrition education and training programs throughout the Virginia Peninsula. Through these programs, our partner agencies, their clients, and the community have the opportunity to understand the importance and the impact of nutrition in our service area. They also have the opportunity to gain knowledge of the plight and the effects of hunger and poverty in our communities.  The Nutrition Education and Training Programs that are offered through this Department are Nutrition/Self-Sufficiency Training and Education(N/SSTEP), Safe Food Handling Classes, Kids Cafe Program, and Food for Kids Back Program.

The first program offered through the Nutrition and Education Department in 1995 was Nutrition/Self-Sufficiency Training and Education (N/SSTEP). The Nutrition/Self-Sufficiency Training and Education Program was created to provide our agency partners and their client’s nutrition education and empowerment workshops. By providing these empowerment workshops, our participants would become less dependent on food assistance programs and learn to become more dependent on themselves. Many public service programs only offer temporary assistance, creating a cycle of dependence. Through education and empowerment, our participants learn how to break the cycle of dependence and move toward self-reliance. N/SSTEP has also provided knowledge and skills to participants in changing their behaviors which are necessary for nutritionally sound diets, as well as contributing to the participant’s self- sufficiency development. Through these behavior changes, the total family health and wellness will improve. Since 1995, N/SSTEP has expanded immensely. Althea Albert-Santiago, Nutrition and Education Program Director, has had the opportunity to add new workshops to the program. These Workshops are:

·         Nutrition Education

·          Food Can Be Fun

·         Forever Young

·         Looking Good is Feeling Good

·         Agency Continual Education 

The next program offered under the Nutrition and Education Department is the Safe Food Handling Classes. The Foodbank strives to assist our Member Agencies in providing food in a manner that maintains the safe handling and integrity of it throughout the process from donor to distribution to the tables of those they assist. Because of this concept, the Foodbank offers three levels of Safe Food Handling Training to our Member Agencies as well to their clients. Althea Albert-Santiago, our staff Nutritionist along with the Peninsula Health District, Farm Fresh Supermarket, and Hampton Roads Food Safety Company, offer the Safe Food Handling Classes monthly and at our Annual Agency Conference. 

Safe Food Handling Classes:

Understanding Prepared Foods

·         Certified Manager

·         Concept of Food Safety

Nutrition plays a very vital and important role in children’s lives. Due to the growing concern of childhood obesity, the Foodbank implemented two childhood hunger and nutrition initiatives under the supervision of the Nutrition and Education Department. These two childhood hunger and nutrition initiatives are the Kids Cafe and Food for Kids BackPack Programs.

·         Kids Cafe Program

·         Food for Kids BackPack Program

 

The Kids Cafe Program was created to help alleviate childhood hunger in America through the provision of nutritious meals and snacks served to children at risk of hunger in safe, accessible sites. The Foodbank is proud to announce the success of 23 Kids Cafe sites, with 16 operating  in the summer months. Our Kids Cafe Program Manager is Jacquelyn Linder.

The Food for Kids BackPack Program is the second childhood hunger initiative program provided by the Nutrition and Education Department. The Food for Kids BackPack Program provides easy-to-prepare, nutritious food for elementary school students attending Title I schools. Karen Hawkins is the Child Hunger and Nutrition Program Coordinator for this program.

The Foodbank is always looking for new partnerships. We invite you to look through our various programs, learn about our essential mission, and discover how each of us can continue assisting those in need in our community. For more information about the Nutrition and Education Programs at the Foodbank, contact the Nutrition and Education Department at extensions 16, 18 and 20.

Nutrition & Self-Sufficiency

Training & Education Program

The Nutrition and Self-Sufficiency Training and Education Program (N-SSTEP) is responsible for providing nutrition education and teaching self-sufficiency skills to those that need it. Some of the classes the Foodbank currently offer include Safe Food Handling, Basic Nutrition (which can be formatted to fit any age group from toddlers to expecting moms), Food Can Be Fun, a program geared especially for children, and much more!  Included with N-SSTEP is Kids Cafe and the Community Gardens Program.

Latest News

The Nutrition Education Program Turns Six Years Old

Seven years ago the FOODBANK of the Virginia Peninsula established the Nutrition/Self-Sufficiency Training Program. The FOODBANK was very proud to announce the start of the first N/SST workshop in October 1995. The first goal of the N/SST program was to serve individuals who have become dependant on the food pantry system and train them to break the cycle of dependence and move toward self-reliance. The second goal was to educate foodbank member agencies on how to empower their clients. Since 1995, the N/SST program has expanded immensely. Althea Albert, Nutrition and Education Program Director, has had the opportunity to add many new componenets to the program. These include a children's nutrition component, entitled Food Can Be Fun, as well as a class in nutrition for seniors, entitled Forever Young.

The newest component is Concepts of Food Safety. With the Concepts of Food Safety program, the goal is to educate all of our agencies and their clients, as well as the entire community, on food safety. We also have partnered with other non-profit and for profit agencies to assist in the expansion of the Nutrition and Education Program. At the end of the fiscal year in 1995-1996, total participants in the N/SST program numbered 995; as of the end of fiscal year 2000-2001, the FOODBANK is pleased to announce that we educated 6,253 participants.

None of this could have been possible without assistance from the Bernardine Franciscan Sisters Foundation. The FOODBANK was awarded $30,000 to fund services provided by the FOODBANK's N/SST program. The grant will assist in improving the quality of life in our community and help individuals whose needs are not being met by other services. Because of the confidence organizations like the Bernardine Franciscan Sisters Foundation place in us, the FOODBANK will continue to strive to accomplish its mission of distributing food effectively through collaborative efforts that minimize hunger, promote nutrition and self-reliance through education.