652 Elizabeth Street
London, Ontario
N5Y 6L3
(519) 432-1801
lcrc@lcrc.on.ca
Bringing together individuals, organizations and
resource to foster community action
Tell Us Your Story
The collective kitchens the LCRC helps to organize have been wonderful.
As the facilitator of one group of 8 young mothers, who were completing
their high school diplomas, I had the privilege of teaching them to budget,
plan meals and cook nutritious foods.
Don’t delay, tell us your story today. We’d love to hear from you. Send submissions to
Thank you,
LCRC staff.
Young mothers and children benefit from Collective Kitchens
Submitted by Pamela Ried, Collective Kitchen facilitator
Living on a below-poverty level income is very difficult - often impossible, especially for parents with
young children who want to provide healthy meals everyday.
It is often much easier to buy low quality foods, because our incomes dictate what our dietary options
have to be.
Children cannot grow, learn or thrive while eating junk foods - those with low nutritional quality.
The collective kitchen worked together to choose foods the children would enjoy, and we learned how to
make meal preparation time easier and less intimidating.
Budgeting and planning before visiting the grocery store, was a key component. Stretching food dollars
and buying in bulk helped the group to cook dishes that could be prepared with an average skill level and
interest. The group was filled with laughter and enthusiasm. The young mothers talked to their friends
and families about what they were learning. Their confidence grew every time our collective kitchen met
(twice a month), knowing that they were becoming more capable and independent.
I believe these brave and strong women are learning to work within the system they find themselves.
While a collective kitchen can help meet their immediate nutritional and social needs, it is imperative to
reduce poverty in Canada because it will benefit all Canadians.
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