VETRI FOUNDATION FOR CHILDREN

VETRI COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIP NOURISHES MINDS, BODIES, AND COMMUNITIES WITH NUTRITION EDUCATION THROUGH COOKING. OUR CORE SERVICES OFFER HANDS-ON COOKING AND TASTING OPPORTUNITIES OF RECIPES THAT ARE NUTRITIOUS, VEGETABLE-FOCUSED, AFFORDABLE, AND, MOST IMPORTANTLY, DELICIOUS. WE INSPIRE PEOPLE OF ALL AGES TO DEVELOP THE KNOWLEDGE AND CONFIDENCE TO MAKE NUTRITIOUS CHOICES AND BUILD LIFE SKILLS FOR A HEALTHIER FUTURE. CONTINUED ON SCHEDULE OVCP'S NUTRITION EDUCATION SERVICES TAKE PLACE IN SCHOOL AND COMMUNITY SETTINGS, AS WELL AS OUR OWN TEACHING KITCHEN, TO BUILD CULINARY CONFIDENCE AND ENCOURAGE COOKING AT HOME. WE ARE COMMITTED TO PROVIDING APPROACHABLE AND ACCESSIBLE PROGRAMS FOR PEOPLE OF ALL AGES THAT FOSTER A SENSE OF BELONGING FOR MEMBERS OF OUR COMMUNITY. DURING FY25, VCP HOSTED 1,545 WORKSHOPS LEADING TO OVER 30,000 EXPERIENCES FOR PARTICIPANTS TO COOK OR TASTE A NUTRIENT-DENSE AND DELICIOUS RECIPE. OUR FIVE CORE SERVICES ARE SUPPLEMENTAL NUTRITION EDUCATION PROGRAM-EDUCATION (SNAP-ED), VETRI COOKING LAB, MOBILE TEACHING KITCHEN, CULINARY MEDICINE, AND TEACHING KITCHEN. AS A CONTRACTED LOCAL PARTNER OF PENNSYLVANIA SNAP-ED, WE AIM TO IMPROVE THE LIKELIHOOD THAT FAMILIES ELIGIBLE FOR SNAP BENEFITS CAN MAKE HEALTHY FOOD CHOICES WITHIN A LIMITED BUDGET. VETRI COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIP'S SNAP-ED TEAM WORKS WITH SCHOOLS ON EVIDENCE-BASED SYSTEMS AND ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGES THAT HELP FAMILIES MAKE HEALTHY CHOICES WITH PROGRAMMING THAT TAKES PLACE DURING THE SCHOOL DAY FOR STUDENTS WITH ADDITIONAL FAMILY AND CAREGIVER ACTIVITIES TAKING PLACE DURING OUT OF SCHOOL HOURS. DURING FY25, VETRI COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIP SNAP-ED EDUCATORS HOSTED 779 COOKING CLASSES WITH 15,236 EXPERIENCES FOR SCHOOL-AGED AND ADULT PARTICIPANTS. VETRI COOKING LAB IS AN OUT-OF-SCHOOL TIME COOKING PROGRAM THAT INSPIRES STUDENTS TO DEVELOP THE KNOWLEDGE AND CONFIDENCE TO MAKE NUTRITIOUS CHOICES AND BUILD LIFE SKILLS FOR A HEALTHIER FUTURE. THIS WEEKLY, CURRICULUM-BASED PROGRAM ENGAGES STUDENTS IN HANDS-ON COOKING PAIRED WITH IMPORTANT NUTRITION LESSONS LIKE EATING A RAINBOW, READING NUTRITION LABELS, AND INCORPORATING "ANY VEGETABLE, ANY WAY." PARTICIPANTS WORK TOGETHER TO BUILD RECIPES, TASTE THEIR CREATIONS, AND SHARE THEIR OPINIONS ON WHAT THEY LIKE, WHAT THEY'D CHANGE, AND WAYS THEY WOULD MAKE IT FOR THEIR FAMILIES. VETRI COOKING LAB EMPOWERS YOUNG PEOPLE TO BECOME MINDFUL AND EDUCATED FOOD CONSUMERS BY INCREASING EXPOSURE TO NUTRITIOUS FOODS, PRACTICAL COOKING SKILLS, AND NUTRITIONAL KNOWLEDGE. DURING FY25, VETRI COOKING LAB EDUCATORS LED 433 WORKSHOPS THAT CREATED 4,698 OPPORTUNITIES FOR STUDENT ENGAGEMENT AFTER SCHOOL AND IN THE SUMMER. MOBILE TEACHING KITCHEN IS A COMMUNITY NUTRITION PROGRAM THAT BRINGS NUTRITIOUS AND DELICIOUS RECIPE SAMPLINGS AND COOKING DEMONSTRATIONS TO FOOD DISTRIBUTION SITES, FOOD PANTRIES, AND FARMERS MARKETS IN THE PHILADELPHIA REGION. THE PROGRAM OFFERS EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES, RECIPES, AND THE OPPORTUNITY FOR PARTICIPANTS TO TASTE RECIPES MADE WITH WHAT IS AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE OR SELECTION THAT DAY. OUR GOAL IS FOR RESIDENTS IN EVERY COMMUNITY TO FEEL CONFIDENT THAT COOKING AT HOME WILL LEAD TO A NOURISHING AND DELICIOUS DISH. DURING FY25, MOBILE TEACHING KITCHEN EDUCATORS HOSTED 160 DEMONSTRATIONS AND TASTINGS LEADING TO 6,904 OPPORTUNITIES FOR PARTICIPANT ENGAGEMENT. CULINARY MEDICINE IS AN INTEGRATION OF FOOD, MEDICINE, AND WELLNESS THAT SUPPORTS COMMUNITY HEALTH THROUGH CULINARY EDUCATION. WITH CULINARY MEDICINE, PATIENTS, PRACTITIONERS, AND MEDICAL STUDENTS DEVELOP PRACTICAL COOKING SKILLS WHILE PREPARING RECIPES TAILORED TO SUPPORT SPECIFIC HEALTH POPULATIONS. MEDICAL EDUCATION CLASSES EMPOWER CURRENT AND FUTURE PHYSICIANS TO APPLY THE PRINCIPLES OF FOOD AS MEDICINE INTO THEIR PRACTICE WHILE PRACTICING EMPATHY AND RESPECT FOR SOCIAL DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH. COMMUNITY-BASED CULINARY MEDICINE CLASSES ENGAGE PATIENTS AND MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC TO DEVELOP AND ENHANCE THEIR OWN COOKING SKILLS, UTILIZING RECIPES TO SUPPORT THEIR PERSONAL NUTRITIONAL NEEDS. DURING FY25, CULINARY MEDICINE EDUCATORS PARTNERED WITH 14 HEALTH CENTERS AND MEDICAL SCHOOLS LEADING TO 46 WORKSHOPS WITH 760 EXPERIENCES FOR PATIENTS AND PRACTITIONERS TO LEARN ABOUT HEALTH TOPICS INCLUDING DIABETES, HEART HEALTH, RENAL HEALTH, MENTAL HEALTH, AND PREGNANCY. DURING FY23, VETRI COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIP OPENED ITS FIRST TEACHING KITCHEN, A 2,000-SQUARE-FOOT SPACE LOCATED IN PHILADELPHIA'S WEST POPLAR NEIGHBORHOOD. THE TEACHING KITCHEN HAS COOKING STATIONS FOR UP TO 40 PEOPLE WITH CULINARY EQUIPMENT AND TOOLS THAT TRANSLATE TO COOKING AT HOME. IN THE TEACHING KITCHEN, GROUPS AND PEOPLE OF ALL AGES AND BACKGROUNDS ARE WELCOME FOR COOKING CLASSES, COMMUNITY EVENTS, AND MORE. DURING FY25, 127 WORKSHOPS FOR NEIGHBORS, COMMUNITY PARTNERS, AND OTHER ORGANIZATIONS LED TO 2,498 EXPERIENCES OF COOKING AND EATING A MEAL TOGETHER IN THE TEACHING KITCHEN.