Maine SNAP-Ed participant reflects on many benefits of cooking class
A Bangor Daily News blog post recently highlighted Maine resident Katherine Cassidy’s experience attending a Cooking Matters program at the Beth C. Wright Cancer Resource Center in Ellsworth. The class was taught by Sara McConnell, a nutrition educator with Healthy Acadia and the Maine Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program - Education (SNAP-Ed).
In the blog, Katherine shared that the cooking class was about more than learning how to cook. She stated that she found friendship and a sense of solace in this class, specifically for those who have been affected by cancer. “We talked as much about gratefulness for our health, and our lives, as we did about recipes,” wrote Cassidy. “We did make stir-fries with lemon sauce yesterday. But that’s not why we bonded.”
Maine SNAP-Ed is funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, which is administered by the Maine Department of Health and Human Services and implemented statewide by the University of New England's School of Community and Population Health through contracts with the Healthy Maine Partnerships. Maine SNAP-Ed educates low-income families on low-cost, healthy eating and active lifestyles.
Cooking Matters is a national program of Share Our Strength. In Maine, Cooking Matters is implemented by Good Shepherd Food Bank and Maine SNAP-Ed, and sponsored by Hannaford Supermarkets.
For more information about Maine SNAP-Ed, and to find a class near you, visit: www.maine.gov/snaped. For ways to shop, cook and eat healthy on a budget, follow Maine SNAP-Ed on Facebook.