Community Kitchens Wallingford

What's This Community Kitchen Idea, You Ask?
Simply....it is coming together around food in a common community space-- to cook together, to learn together, to support one another, and to share resources -- all in the name of health, wise use of resources, and community connections.

The formal "community kitchen movement" has its roots in Peru in the 60's & 70's. Since then, it has been put to use across the globe........with Canada's CK movement spreading & taking root since the 90's. We look to what British Columbia has created - with nearly 400 community kitchens across the province and more than 60 CKs in Vancouver alone.

Using a cooperative approach, the model is based on a set of principles that brings together:
~~Healthy food preparation
~~Economy of shared resources and effort
~~Education about nutrition, health, and sustainable food practices
~~Community involvement
~~Local and family empowerment.
It is also intended to bridge cultural and socio-economic differences.

Thank you for your participation in our Wallingford Community Kitchen this past year. In 2010, our community kitchen’s fed almost 300 people over 10 different sessions. We prepared about 40 dishes and had attendance from our community ranging from 4 months to 80 years in age. We were featured in local newspapers, magazines, blogs, radio and will be featured in a 30 minute online program to be aired in 2011. Our community kitchens are a true success; we share in a growing movement of people who are seeking to bring the community together through increased learning about food, cooking and health. Our Community Kitchens help people of all economic backgrounds:
Acquire cooking skills and methods
Save money while learning how to make more nutritious food
Strengthen supportive social networks
Discover the pleasure and economy of home cooked meals

We hope to continue to expand and improve our community kitchen in 2011 and look forward to any feedback or ideas to help make it an even bigger success. One area of concern that has been expressed recently has been the length of our sessions. Our community kitchens are a true cooperative event – we look to all of you to help us in cooking, eating and clean-up. In order to keep us on track, we ask for your support in the following:
• Community kitchens start at 5:30pm; that means that we plan our time to begin cooking at this time and would hope that you can plan to arrive a few minutes early to settled in, get your hands washed and help us to be ready to start on time.
• We ask that all attendees participate in the clean-up. This is an effort that must take place during the event as well as at the end of the event. Many hands make light work. If you have completed working on your cooking task, please take a look around and see if there are tables to be set-up or dishes to be washed; if in doubt, look to a recipe or kitchen leader for ideas on how you can help out.
• We understand that life happens and that you may not be able to arrive on time, every time, so in those instances we ask that you plan to stay to help us in the very final clean-up efforts.
Thank you again for your involvement thus far; we look forward to an amazing 2011!

Happy cooking together!

Wallingford CK 2011 Schedule
Jan 14 – MLK celebration; guest host, Patrice Savery
Feb 18 – Chocolate; using chocolate in unexpected ways
Mar 11 – Indian inspired; Down in the root cellar; time to get creative with the pre-spring remaining veggies
April 22 – Earth Day
May 20 – Spring has Sprung
June 17 – Salads, salads and more salads; hearty main course style salads
July 15 – Wallingford Community Kitchen Annual Picnic
Sept 23 – Back to School – Time saving ideas for eating healthy
Oct 21 - Mushrooms
Nov 18 – Holiday Celebration

• All Community Kitchens will be held on Friday evenings starting at 5:30pm and will be held at the Wallingford Senior Center until further notice (the Wallingford Community Senior Center is in the Good Shepherd Center 4649 Sunnyside Ave N Room 140 Lower Level).