Showing posts with label YMCA. Show all posts
Showing posts with label YMCA. Show all posts

Saturday, October 25, 2014

East Boston YMCA offers free community cooking classes

Tuesday Night Classes Focus on Fresh Ingredients & Healthy Cooking on a Budget

The East Boston YMCA Cooking For Life programs offers free community cooking classes every Tuesday evening that teach basic cooking skills and emphasize healthy cooking on a budget. All of the classes are taught by the Y’s Director of Kitchen Services, Chef Meg Tallon.
 

"These classes are a great way to learn the basics of healthy cooking," said Tallon. "We’ll help you feel more comfortable in the kitchen and expand your cooking repertoire with simple healthy meals that make the most of your food budget.”

The next session of free classes include:

October 28 - Kitchen Basics: Learn how to stock your home pantry with kitchen essentials and master basic cooking techniques like sautéing, braising and roasting. 

November 4 - Make-Ahead Meals - Learn how to prepare sauces and main dishes like Beef Stew that you can prepare days, and even weeks, before you need them. With our make-ahead staples and you’ll be able to enjoy a home-cooked meal every night.

November 11 - Healthy Cooking Basics - Keep the flavors you love while focusing on fresh healthy ingredients. You’ll make over recipes like Chicken and Rice and Lasagna and see just how delicious healthy cooking can be.

November 18 - Tastes of the Season:  Fall Harvest - Cooking with seasonal ingredients ensures maximum freshness and helps you get the most for your food dollars. This class uses the fruits and vegetables of the fall harvest season to create a fall feast on a budget.

Classes are held at the Y Teaching Kitchen at 54 Ashley Street on Tuesday evenings, 6:00-8:00 pm. Free on-site childcare is available to participants. Sign up for one class or for the entire four-week session. Advance registration is required. Please call Meg Tallon at 617-418-7331, ext. 203, to reserve your spot.

In addition to the free community cooking classes, the East Boston Y also offers a wide array of cooking master classes --- including Decadent Desserts, Easy Italian and Extreme Holiday Meal Makeovers. Master classes are $40 for members and$50 for non-members. The proceeds from the master classes support the Y’s free community cooking and nutritional education programming. To find out more about the master classes, visit www.ymcaboston.org/eastboston/kitchen.

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Monday, October 20, 2014

YMCA of Greater Boston’s Teen Director East Boston's J. Gaeta Honored with Community Call’s 2014 Young Leader Award

EAST BOSTON | East Boston resident and the YMCA of Greater Boston’s Association- Wide Director of Teen Programming, Joseph Gaeta, 31, will be awarded with Community Call’s 2014 Young Leader Award.

The award honors a young leader who has made a positive impact and whose civic, social, and community leadership sets an inspiring example to the community. Gaeta was chosen from dozens of candidates for his work helping to keep East Boston High School students in school and on track to graduate on time.

“When a student fails even one credited course their odds go up of not graduating on time, or worse, dropping out altogether,” says Gaeta. “In East Boston, the situation is even worse. More than 100 students are not moving up to the next grade and half of those students are expected to drop out. As someone from the community, who went to East Boston High, it’s important to me to help change the fate for these students.”

In partnership with East Boston High, Gaeta helped to launch a program at the East Boston Y to build a Credit Recovery (CR) Center for high school student on site. Students work at their own pace to recover missed credits they need to graduate. Since the CR Center opened its doors, 73 students participated and successfully completed 97 courses. This allowed fifteen at-risk students to graduate with the class of 2014.

Unlike the school setting where the majority of credit recovery programs are held, the air-conditioned CR Center at the Y is well equipped, comfortable and welcoming. An East Boston High guidance counselor is onsite, able to help students gain access to the online curriculum, problem solve and ensure that the students stay focused.  As an added incentive, a free unrestricted Y membership is provided to students who enroll in the program. A free, healthy snack is available for students as well.

During the summer of 2014, Gaeta also managed a summer program that provided free access to more than 800 activities for more than 10,000 teens across the City of Boston.

“One third of the population in Boston is under the age of 35, and each of these people has the power to make a difference in the community. The Community Call Young Leader Award is an opportunity to recognize someone who is in this group that sets an example of giving back,” said Carolyn Edwards, Executive Director of Community Call. “Joseph exemplifies someone who has taken the time to invest in his community with outstanding results and serves as a wonderful role model to our students.”

J. Gaeta of East Boston



Community Call works to develop critical thinking, confidence and self-empowerment with Boston area at-risk high school students through community event planning. Students of Community Call are inspired to look beyond themselves and collaborate with their peers to identify a social need, develop a plan and produce an event that benefits the broader community. Students learn organizational, business, and life skills influencing all aspects of their lives.

The Community Call 2014 Young Leader Award is presented to provide role models to its students regarding the impact they can have on their community. The award was inspired by the work of community activist Lenny Zakim to help identify young role models. Presenting the award for
a second year is Lenny Zakim’s son, Boston City Councilor Josh Zakim.

The award ceremony will take place on Tuesday, Oct. 21 at Pegasystems’ Stand-Up Boston Comedy Challenge at Laugh Boston, 425 Summer Street, in Boston’s Seaport District.

About the YMCA of Greater Boston
The YMCA of Greater Boston is the state’s leading nonprofit committed to strengthening communities.  Every day the Y works with thousands of men, women and children to make sure that everyone, regardless of age, income or background, has the opportunity to learn, grow and thrive. With 13 branches in and around Boston, the Y partners with 250 organizations to meet unique needs of the communities it serves. The Y is committed to youth development, healthy living, and social responsibility.

About Community Call
Community Call's (www.communitycall.org) mission is to develop critical thinking, confidence, and self-empowerment with Boston area at-risk and opportunity high school students through community event planning. Our students are inspired to look beyond themselves and collaborate with their peers to identify a social need, develop a plan, and produce an event that benefits the broader community. Students learn organizational, business, and life skills influencing all aspects of their lives.  

Our enrichment program produces a variety of entirely student-run community events providing unparalleled opportunities to learn first-hand about business and leadership and giving back to the community. By using their passion, talents, and skills, these students are more likely to believe that they can make a difference in their community while making a difference in their own lives.

Friday, November 15, 2013

Stop & Shop donate turkeys at the East Boston Y


Nicolas Morales helps his mother, Iris Morales, pick up a turkey from Stop & Shop store manager Rich Nolan, Thursday, Nov. 14 at the YMCA of East Boston in East Boston, Mass. Committed to sharing meals and giving thanks in the communities it serves, Stop & Shop is donating more than 21,000 turkeys to hunger relief organizations and families throughout the Northeast in need this holiday season.



Stop & Shop Delivers 250 Turkeys to YMCA of East Boston Nov. 14 in Time for Thanksgiving
Turkey Express is just one of many ways the supermarket will share meals and give thanks
this holiday season

Stop & Shop’s Turkey Express trucks will deliver 250 turkeys to the YMCA of East Boston in East Boston in time for Thanksgiving. The delivery is one of eight stops on Stop & Shop’s Turkey Express route throughout New England and 12 across the Northeast.

According to a recent survey by the Boston Medical Center, East Boston showed the highest rate, at 25.4 percent, of childhood food insecurity out of the 10 Boston zip codes. Within Boston, there is a high demand for donations to local food banks and Stop & Shop’s donation to the YMCA of East Boston will help to feed more than 1,000 people. 

“We strive to be a better neighbor both in and out of our stores and we are committed to fighting hunger in our communities year round” said Joe Kelley, president of Stop & Shop New England. “We understand that the holidays can be particularly difficult for families in need, so we encourage everyone to share a meal and give thanks this holiday season. Together, we can help support the families who depend on hunger relief organizations when they need it most.”

This November, Stop & Shop will donate more than 21,000 turkeys to local food banks throughout the Northeast with its Turkey Express program. Deliveries will run through Thanksgiving.