CalFresh and The L.A. Trust help families keep it fresh during shutdown
The L.A. Trust has expanded its nutrition education to include Facebook Live workshops and healthy online cooking videos.
The Los Angeles Trust for Children’s Health has moved its CalFresh student and community outreach programs online and to the field to help families eat healthy during the coronavirus shutdown.
The L.A. Trust Nutrition team is holding weekly one-hour workshops on Facebook Live hosted by Program Manager Esther Yepez and Health Educator Lillian Orta:
English-language workshops Every Thursday at 3 p.m. until July 2
Spanish-language workshops Every Friday at 12 p.m. until July 3
The workshops feature information on healthy food options, pantry cooking and smart shopping. “We know that it can be hard to shop fresh right now,” Yepez said. “We want to demonstrate how to maintain or even improve nutritious eating during this shutdown period.” The L.A. Trust has conducted 12 nutrition workshops and hosted one informational workshop reaching 5,253 people on Facebook so far.
The Spanish-language informational workshop featured guest speaker Betzabel Estudillo of the California Food Policy Advocates and discussed expanded EBT benefits and other COVID-19 resources.
The L.A. Trust has also posted fresh and healthy cooking videos on Vimeo to help families eat fresh and stretch their food dollars, with more coming soon:
French Toast Sticks with Berry Syrup (English and Spanish)
Brussels Sprout Hash & Eggs (English and Spanish)
Mango Chicken Stirfry (English and Spanish)
The L.A. Trust has distributed free grocery bags, gloves, and 900 recipe cards to the Fremont Free Food Fair, a food distribution site The L.A. Trust has supported to address food insecurity over the past several years. The Fremont Free Food Fair is organized by the UMMA Community clinic, Community Health Councils and Food Forward.
Working with CalFresh
Through CalFresh Healthy Living, The L.A. Trust has also purchased more than 2,800 cookbooks to be given away at four food distribution sites: Peace Chapel Church; Macedonia Church in Watts; Community Health Councils; and Girls Club of Los Angeles. These cookbooks will be given away in food bags distributed during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The L.A. Trust is proud to partner with CalFresh Healthy Living to help our students and families eat well and get access to healthy foods,” Program Manager Nina Nguyen said. “There is tremendous interest in healthy eating in our communities, and we are excited to keep this outreach going virtually during the current coronavirus closures.”
CalFresh Healthy Living is the largest nutrition education program in the United States. More than one-third of California residents are eligible for CalFresh Healthy Living, California’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program-Education (SNAP-Ed), which strives to improve the health of eligible Californians through education and healthy community changes. CalFresh Healthy Living offers critical resources for Californians to lead healthier lives and provides opportunities to enjoy more fresh produce.