Introducing “Food is Power” at our Women’s Justice Program!

Food nourishes our bodies, minds, and souls. It is a way to connect, celebrate, heal, and provide comfort. Making space for cooking welcomes a world of opportunities into the community that we serve. However, most of our residents have little confidence when it comes to preparing a meal. To help address this, the Providence House Women’s Justice Program has launched our very own "Food is Power" workshop! This bi-weekly class teaches participants skills related to building kitchen safety, knife skills,  introducing fresh ingredients, easy recipes, and how to safely store food. The overall goal is to create affordable meals, build skills and knowledge, and promote community and collaboration.

“The tools our clients will learn in these workshops are not only useful in the present but will promote independence and will be very useful to them in the future.”

– WJP Program director Nyasha Salmon

Last month, the kick off workshop was a huge success! Strawberry Shortcake was the dessert of choice, and the classic summer sweet treat put smiles on the women’s faces. This workshop was facilitated by our intern Heather, who has a background and career in professional cooking, having previously worked in the Food Network's test kitchen. Heather encouraged collaboration between the women as they navigated the recipe together. 

By introducing a baking recipe as the first workshop, Heather set the tone for the many to come. Baking is a craft that demands patience and perseverance. As one works through pastry recipes, they must be dedicated to every step, along with commitment to presentation to then be proud of their finished products. These lessons in patience and perseverance extend beyond the kitchen, helping the women in our Women's Justice Program navigate the hurdles they may encounter as they reenter the community. The experience of mastering baking techniques instills a newfound sense of confidence and capability for women who may not have had the chance to experiment in the kitchen. Not to mention, it has the added benefit of resulting in sweet comfort food! With joy, conversation, demonstration, and support, the food made during the workshop became a powerful tool to bring our community together!

We’ve posted the recipe for our Strawberry Shortcake down below, join the Providence House community in creating something sweet!