Nanaimo Community Kitchens executive director Heidi Sinclair prepping food for their many programs. (submitted/Nanaimo Community Kitchens Society)

By Spencer Sterritt

good food

Nanaimo Community Kitchens celebrates 30th anniversary

Jun 13, 2021 | 6:23 AM

NANAIMO — Thousands of recipes have been created in the 30 years since Nanaimo Community Kitchens opened.

The organization, which originated Nanaimo Foodshare, provides workshops and food education to families and individuals with a wide variety of needs.

Executive director Heidi Sinclair said they often serve people with lower incomes who find purchasing food difficult at the end of the month, but their education programs are open to all.

“We’re here for people who want to learn more skills. We recognize lots of people don’t have basic food skills to cook for themselves or their families. That’s an important skill everyone needs.”

Nanaimo Community Kitchens offers many programs but there are two main programs helping people.

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The Cooking Out of the Box program, which uses food available in Nanaimo Foodshare’s Good Food Box, teaches recipes using those specific ingredients. The program has run for roughly 30 years.

The Bellies to Babies and Beyond program guides families about nutrition during and after pregnancy and is run by a registered dietician.

Sinclair said interest and enthusiasm for Nanaimo Community Kitchens has grown significantly in recent years.

“There’s a lot of community that can be built around food and that’s something we can celebrate. We’re finding parents want to have experiences with their kids in the kitchen, whether it’s learning a new recipe or growing food in their garden.”

A 30th anniversary giving campaign was recently launched to help the organization meet rising demand as the COVID-19 pandemic continued to take a toll.

Donations can be made online.

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spencer@nanaimonewsnow.com

On Twitter: @SpencerSterritt