Food And Truth
(This Proposal is Confidential and Not for Distribution)
A non-profit organization to
Inform ◊ Educate ◊ Motivate ◊ Organize
Around Food Ingredient Issues
October 16, 2008
RE: An immediate solution for childhood diabetes and obesity
Food And Truth is a 501(c) (3) organization that proposes to launch “Kids Can Cook” as a model program to be replicated nationally to teach children about nutrition by learning how to prepare a crock-pot meal for their family.
This proposal is sent to visionary leaders/philanthropists in the hope that one or more of them will recognize that the launch of the “Kids Can Cook” program described below represents a step in the right direction to solving the crisis posed by the epidemic of diabetes and obesity in children.
What: A National model program, "KIDS CAN COOK " after school crock-pot
cooking, ages 9-14
Why: To empower children with food/nutrition knowledge to curb childhood
diabetes and obesity
Where: To be launched at the DaVinci Center in Providence, RI
When: Upon funding
Then What: Replicate the program statewide
Then What: Take the program national
PROGRAM LENGTH
During the school year, Three eight week sessions, five days a week after school
YOGA-MEDITATIVE, CALMING EXERCISE 2:45 – 3:30
Students arrive and limber up for cooking with meditative, calming program designed to exercise the body and focus the mind.
HAND WASHING 3:30 to 3:35
The students carefully wash their hands as instructed.
SNACK INSTRUCTIONS/PREPARATION 3:35 to 4:00
Students are instructed in the preparation of a simple nutritious snack.
TEA TIME 4:00 to 4:20
The students enjoy the snack they prepared with hot or cold non-caffeine herbal tea, depending on the season. Etiquette and table conversation are practiced.
TODAY'S RECIPE BRIEFING with NUTRITION/INGREDIENT LESSON 4:20
The chief delivers the nutritional lesson of the day in context to the ingredients and nutritional value of the meal they are about to prepare:
What the ingredients are,
Why they are in the food,
What affect each ingredient has on the human body.
INGREDIENT COLLECTION
The students collect their ingredients, read the recipe, measure, mix and seal the mixed ingredients in a container for refrigeration overnight.
CLEAN UP
The students take responsibility for their space and tools by cleaning up and putting their tools away.
FRIDAY FAMILY FOOD ACTIVITIES
Students work on appetizers and naturally sweetened desserts that will be shared on Friday Family Food Night.
CLOSE OF DAY
Student's review of the day's lesson, state their impressions and observations. The next day's recipe is announced.
TUESDAY EARLY MORNING
Senior Citizen volunteers put the students' mixed ingredients into their perspective crock-pots, apply lids and plug in to begin the slow cooking process, which reduces food shrinkage and seals in nutrients.
TUESDAY 3:00 TO 3:30
The students arrive to the aroma for a fully cooked crock-pot meal they will bring home to their families after the lesson. Crock-pots are unplugged to cool the food upon students arriving for safe take-home. Students will be instructed to reheat the meal at home before serving
THE ENTIRE PROCESS FROM THE PREVIOUS DAY IS REPEATED:
Wednesday & Thursday,
Repeat of the day before
FRIDAY (FAMILY FOOD NIGHT)
Repeat of the day before with the exception that the families are invited to come and share the meal with the other families and enjoy the naturally sweetened desserts. Students give a review of the weeks nutrition lessons to the assembled families. Senior volunteers are invited guests.
STREAMING LIVE ON THE INTERNET
Middle school and high school students hold paid positions to capture Food And Truth "Kids Can Cook" as it unfolds from 3:00 PM to 6:30 PM and stream the days activities live on the Internet. Each days program will be archived on the Food and Truth website. Students will be able to revisit the day's lesson by accessing the archived program from their home computer enabling them to see how they look and sound, and critique themselves. They can also share the entire experience of preparing the meal with their families.
We are working on a proposal to WRNI, RI Public Radio, to stream live the nutrition lesson segment of the cooking class. The goal is to expose the nutrition information to a wider audience and to introduce potentially new audiences to the station.
LOCAL, NATIONAL RADIO/SIMUCAST CABLE
The intent is for this model to be replicated by thousands of schools, community organizations and church groups throughout the county during the school year and at summer camps. Eventually Food And Truth will grow from local internet/radio to a national radio/cable program that will be broadcast daily with recipes archived on the Internet. The Food And Truth website will become the "go-to" place for food ingredient information. Just type in any ingredient and find out:
What it is
Why it is in the food
What affect it has on the human body
The Food And Truth Trivia Game will be developed simultaneously with the website, the profits from the game will help support Food And Truth activities. The food ingredient trivia game will increase in level of difficulty from the kindergarten level to the postgraduate level. Alan Hasenfeld of HASBRO Toys has been contacted.
Food Buying Coops will be organized for children/parents to place shared bulk orders for high quality food at lower prices. Arrangements will be made to purchase from local farms to maximize the nutritional value of the food.
After the Kids Can Cook lesson series is completed, graduates are invited to stay on as mentors, and some will be hired to record and archive the daily programs. Other programs can be developed to take next level cooking/nutrition lessons.
This is an executive summary, there is more to this simple program that can begin as soon as funding sources are identified. The goal is to launch this program immediately at the Providence DaVinci Center, a great community asset that has made invaluable contributions to children in Rhode Island since its inception over thirty years ago. John De Luca, the Executive Director, and the board members of the DaVinci Center are excited about “Kids Can Cook” and are ready to go. More information on the Da Vinci Center can be found at http://www.davincicenter.org/.
We only need one or two “angels” to see that the “Kids Can Cook” program will start the ball rolling in the direction of better health and psychological well being for our children. The question is, “Who will champion this model program?”
Respectfully submitted,
Karen Salvatore
621 Gilbert Stuart Road
Saunderstown, RI 02874
401-294-6800 M
Food is love to be shared.
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