PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — The founders of two prominent area nonprofits teamed up for a fall festival Saturday afternoon in the Spring Garden neighborhood, that not only featured a Thanksgiving meal giveaway, but also culinary demonstrations to show people how to use everything in their box.
Marc Vetri, founder of the Vetri Community Partnership, says when it comes to helping people eat well, teaching people how to cook is just as important as giving them healthy food.
“We have had this for 16 years now and we started off at like schools and things and mostly with like young folks but now we're also working with adults who don't know how to make vegetables,” he said.
CEO Maddy Booth says culinary education helps eliminate a barrier to healthy eating:
“Because there are so many barriers for people whether it's time, convenience, geography, access to food, food apartheid, We want to at least eliminate one of them, which is knowing what to do with it when you get it.”
Eagles great Ron Jaworski, founder of Jaws Youth Playbook, agrees.
“Food is so important to your growth, your maturity, your mental health, your physical health,” h said. “To get these young kids at the beginning, you get a better chance in life.”
Organizers say 100 meals were distributed to North Philadelphia residents. Local resident Brenda Fuller says she took home a bag of food.
“There’s a lot of poor people out here in this world,” she said. “I’m disabled, and I appreciate everything I get.”
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