EAST BOSTON: When did you devour your first pupusa? Whether it was last week or on your third birthday, the leaders of the Community Food Workshop Series want to know. Following up last month’s successful “Power of Local” workshop, this month’s theme will turn towards how food affects our emotion and health.
The “Stir a Memory” workshop, happening Thursday, April 7 at the Harborside Adult Education Center, will include a “food memory postcard” making activity and a healthy pupusa cooking demonstration – and of course, lots of pupusa eating!
Held on the first Thursday night of each month at Harborside Adult Education Center, the Community Food Workshop Series are an opportunity for discussion about food system issues relating directly to East Boston and will provide opportunities for participants to get involved in urban gardening and public health initiatives. Future topics include “Food Justice 101”, and “Container Gardening”.
Led by community members, the workshops are open to all and promise to be an engaging mix of hands-on education and fun! Stir a Memory will engage participants in artistically expressing a favorite food-related memory and explore the cultural link between food and good health. “Food is such an important part of community, and East Boston is no exception,” said Cait Van Damm, co-coordinator of the Community Food Workshop Series. “We hope these events will be allow us all to come together, be inspired and learn something new – and yummy!”
The series is sponsored by Healthy on the Block/Saludable en tu T tienda, an East Boston Neighborhood Health Center and Boston Public Health Commission initiative to increase access to fresh produce and whole grains in corner stores. For more information regarding the Healthy on the Block/Saludable en tu tienda project or the Community Food Workshop Series, contact Cait Van Damm at 617-568-4028 or vandammc@ebnhc.org.
Dates and workshop descriptions are listed below:
• April 7 – Stir a Memory: explore the artistic and emotional connection between culture, health, and food! Local artist Krina Patel will be facilitating a public recipe art project. Cooking demonstrations and games will also add to the fun!
• April 21 - Food Justice 101 and more: explore how different social circumstances often dictate health through food, and fun ways to help fix this problem!
• May 5 – Container Gardening and Seed Starting!: community leaders will delve into the basics of how to get growing in your own backyard and provide a source of food, community, health and fun!
