Online Cooking Class Brings CUPS Families Together!
Through the generosity of our community partner, Cenovus, CUPS families bond in the kitchen.
It’s no secret that families who share meals together on a regular basis, whether it’s breakfast, lunch or dinner, reap many benefits, such as: building relationships, eating healthier foods, saving money and developing cooking and social skills.
Mealtime is one key family time that our partners at Cenovus want to ensure holds true through the COVID-19 pandemic. A long-time supporter of CUPS family programs, Cenovus has once again stepped up to the plate (no pun intended!) to elevate the opportunities for our families.
In a previous blog post, we shared how the CUPS Nurturing Parenting Program got creative during COVID-19, moving its program online so that parents and families could continue to learn and graduate from the 16-week program. Our most recent lesson, held on Friday, May 15, was an online cooking class with CUPS’ very own Chef Sameer! Chef Sameer is a Red Seal chef who works at CUPS to plan, prep and present amazingly nutritious meals for CUPS families.
The class was themed “Spices”, which represented the many benefits of cooking as a family:
S - social
P - physical
I - intellectual
C - creative
E - emotional
S - spiritual
The class was a great addition to the Nurturing Parenting program and aligned with one of the program’s most important values: self-care and meeting one's needs.
Prior to the class, Chef Sameer sent registrants a menu, an ingredients list and instructions to follow during the class.Through the stewardship of our generous community partner and supporter, Cenovus Energy, CUPS was able to arrange $50 gift cards so families could purchase the necessary ingredients to follow along.
During the class, Chef Sameer thoughtfully walked through each step, answered questions and shared helpful kitchen tips, tricks and nutritional information to educate families.
The participants had a blast and cooked up a storm! They had great time learning with their families and interacting with other families online, too. The best part? The delicious meal they shared at the end!
The Nurturing Parent Programs, and classes such as Cooking with Chef Sameer, play an important role in developing resilience for individuals and families. Looking to help and not sure how? Consider donating to the CUPS COVID-19 Urgent Needs Fund today.
We’re excited for future Cooking with Chef Sameer sessions and are grateful for the generosity of the Cenovus Energy team for making them possible.
Interested in getting involved at CUPS? Click here.