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Pittsburgh, PA (July 20, 2021) - Adagio Health has received the Food Insecurity in Mon Valley grant of $10,000 from the Jefferson Regional Foundation, which will support efforts to increase nutrition knowledge and confidence in the cooking and shopping skills of 60 Jefferson-area residents using the Cooking Matters curriculum.
Cooking Matters® is a SNAP-Ed approved curriculum that teaches parents and caregivers, with limited food budgets, to shop and cook for healthy meals. Cooking Matters® provides hands-on cooking courses, nutrition education, and grocery store tours. This course offers multiple sessions for parents, adults, and families. Each lesson is taught by a team of facilitators with expertise in cooking and nutrition; and covers meal preparation, grocery shopping, and food budgeting. During each week of class, participants take home a bag of groceries to practice the skills they learned in class. The fifth lesson of the course includes a grocery store tour to teach, in real time, the most effective ways to shop on a budget. During the tours, participants are given a gift card to incentivize participation. When participants have completed the 6-session course, they are provided with a completion certificate and prize.
The goals of the project are to increase nutrition knowledge and confidence in cooking and shopping skills of Jefferson Regional area community members. By implementing pre- and post- surveys specifically designed for the Cooking Matters® curriculum, Adagio Health will be able to measure improved confidence in participants’ cooking abilities, reduced barriers in preparing healthy and affordable meals, increased number of healthier and budget-friendly meals prepared at home, increased confidence in stretching food dollars, and increased intake of non-fried produce.
“There are three pillars that provide the foundation for all of the work we do at Adagio Health: health care, nutrition, and education,” said BJ Leber, President and CEO of Adagio Health. “This program hits all three, as participants learn how to choose healthier foods and how to prepare that food – they are positioned to achieve better health outcomes overall.”
Jefferson Regional Foundation CEO, Mary Phan-Gruber said, “Preparing healthy meals on a budget can be a challenging task that parents and caregivers face daily. Adagio is offering fun and practical cooking
classes designed for families which will be offered in partnership with Mon Valley organizations. The Foundation recognizes and supports the important connections between eating well and good health.”
Employees of Adagio Health’s SNAP-Ed program known as “Power Up” began administering the Cooking Matters program in collaboration with 412 Food Rescue in 2017. Since then, the Power Up team has implemented nine full, six-week Cooking Matters® courses and two grocery store tours. As 412 Food Rescue has stepped back from Cooking Matters®, they have fully supported Adagio Health as the primary local partner.
About Adagio Health – Since 1971, Adagio Health has provided health and wellness services in Pennsylvania, and now, seven counties in West Virginia and five counties in New York. Health care services include family planning and reproductive care for women and men, breast and cervical cancer screening, and adult care basics such as immunizations and screening. The majority of patients receiving healthcare services are women who are uninsured, underinsured or need access to confidential family planning services. Adagio Health also serves thousands of children and families through education and nutrition programs including WIC and Power Up (SNAP-Ed), and tobacco cessation programs aimed at teens and adults. All services are provided through funding from foundations, the State and Federal government and in partnership with a variety of local organizations and other funders.
Cooking Matters® is a SNAP-Ed approved curriculum that teaches parents and caregivers, with limited food budgets, to shop and cook for healthy meals. Cooking Matters® provides hands-on cooking courses, nutrition education, and grocery store tours. This course offers multiple sessions for parents, adults, and families. Each lesson is taught by a team of facilitators with expertise in cooking and nutrition; and covers meal preparation, grocery shopping, and food budgeting. During each week of class, participants take home a bag of groceries to practice the skills they learned in class. The fifth lesson of the course includes a grocery store tour to teach, in real time, the most effective ways to shop on a budget. During the tours, participants are given a gift card to incentivize participation. When participants have completed the 6-session course, they are provided with a completion certificate and prize.
The goals of the project are to increase nutrition knowledge and confidence in cooking and shopping skills of Jefferson Regional area community members. By implementing pre- and post- surveys specifically designed for the Cooking Matters® curriculum, Adagio Health will be able to measure improved confidence in participants’ cooking abilities, reduced barriers in preparing healthy and affordable meals, increased number of healthier and budget-friendly meals prepared at home, increased confidence in stretching food dollars, and increased intake of non-fried produce.
“There are three pillars that provide the foundation for all of the work we do at Adagio Health: health care, nutrition, and education,” said BJ Leber, President and CEO of Adagio Health. “This program hits all three, as participants learn how to choose healthier foods and how to prepare that food – they are positioned to achieve better health outcomes overall.”
Jefferson Regional Foundation CEO, Mary Phan-Gruber said, “Preparing healthy meals on a budget can be a challenging task that parents and caregivers face daily. Adagio is offering fun and practical cooking
classes designed for families which will be offered in partnership with Mon Valley organizations. The Foundation recognizes and supports the important connections between eating well and good health.”
Employees of Adagio Health’s SNAP-Ed program known as “Power Up” began administering the Cooking Matters program in collaboration with 412 Food Rescue in 2017. Since then, the Power Up team has implemented nine full, six-week Cooking Matters® courses and two grocery store tours. As 412 Food Rescue has stepped back from Cooking Matters®, they have fully supported Adagio Health as the primary local partner.
About Adagio Health – Since 1971, Adagio Health has provided health and wellness services in Pennsylvania, and now, seven counties in West Virginia and five counties in New York. Health care services include family planning and reproductive care for women and men, breast and cervical cancer screening, and adult care basics such as immunizations and screening. The majority of patients receiving healthcare services are women who are uninsured, underinsured or need access to confidential family planning services. Adagio Health also serves thousands of children and families through education and nutrition programs including WIC and Power Up (SNAP-Ed), and tobacco cessation programs aimed at teens and adults. All services are provided through funding from foundations, the State and Federal government and in partnership with a variety of local organizations and other funders.