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We’re excited to kick off the school year with good news. This fall we’re bringing hands-on cooking and nutrition classes to five new East Bay schools, making seven in total, along with ten schools in the North Bay.
Our North Bay expansion is made possible thanks to our newly appointed North Bay Regional Manager, Rebecca Bar-Cohen, who, as many of you know, has been one of our dedicated instructors over the past several years. We’re also thrilled to welcome several new teachers to our team as we continue to build momentum.
This year we’re focusing on strengthening our outreach to families. One of the highlights of each session is our Tasty Table, where parents and school staff are invited to sample the delicious recipes students have prepared. These tastings not only give kids a chance to show off their new skills, but also create a space for families to connect and learn about the newfound knowledge their child has gained, adding a demonstrable trickle down effect to the work we do.
We’re so grateful to have your support as we grow our community of nutrition savvy junior chefs. Here’s to a nourishing year ahead!
Warmly,
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Lara Rajninger,
Executive Director.
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Meet Our New North Bay Regional Manager,
Rebecca Bar-Cohen
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A warm KCL welcome to Rebecca Bar-Cohen, our new North Bay Regional Manager. Rebecca's love for food was ignited in her early years in Hong Kong, where she was exposed to a rich tapestry of flavors and cuisines. After a career in sales and marketing, she decided to follow her passion and become a certified Holistic Chef through Bauman College.
Central to her work is the belief that food is not just sustenance but a powerful force that nurtures the body and creates communities. She's a strong advocate for educating children in a healthy and enjoyable environment, a principle she actively practices while cooking with her teenage daughters. When she's not in the kitchen, you can find her enjoying nature with her large pup, Sammy.
| | Proud of Our Partnership With Foodwise | | |
This summer, we were delighted to join forces with Foodwise for a cooking demonstration at the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market in San Francisco, featuring our very own Chef Polly Sang. Showcasing peak-season, organic produce from local farmers, like serpentine cucumbers, sun-ripened tomatoes, basil, and bold kimchi spices, Chef Polly crafted an eye-catching kimchi salad inspired by her Korean heritage. Discover the recipe below and don’t miss Foodwise’s exclusive interview with her by clicking here.
Foodwise is the force behind both the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market and the Mission Community Market. They also run a collection of educational programs individually aimed at chefs, schools, and community, in order to promote education for all, around the critical role fresh, sustainable produce and food equity plays in our lives and our health. We look forward to many more informative collaborations with Foodwise.
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We’d like to say a huge THANK YOU to long-time Kids Cooking for Life supporter, Steve Shakin, for organizing a fundraiser with gifts in kind for his birthday. A significant amount of money was raised and will be put to good use this year by offering 20 classes to one lucky school. We are grateful to all Steve’s friends who so generously contributed. Many happy returns Steve!
If you want to help us financially, do consider a birthday fundraiser, especially if it’s a big bash. There are many other ways you can contribute to Kids Cooking for Life too. You can become a sponsor, contribute through Facebook fundraiser and in-kind donations, include us in your corporate matching gift program or even include us in your estate planning. Many financial gifts offer significant tax advantages. You can find detailed information about all the ways you can help us by clicking on the button below. Every donation is significant, and we are beyond grateful for all of them. THANK YOU!
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Thank You to Sprouts Farmers Markets | |
We were thrilled to receive a generous donation from Sprouts Healthy Communities Foundation, recently, as they celebrated their second ever Sprouting Healthy Communities Day.
With the support of their generous customers who rounded up at checkout, Sprouts have awarded $3.3 million in grants to more than 550 local nonprofits and schools coast-to-coast.
We couldn’t be more grateful to be a recipient and can’t wait to put the grant to good use in our classrooms as soon as possible. Initiatives like this are what make the mission we all feel so passionately about here at Kids Cooking for LIfe possible. THANK YOU! Sprouts and Sprouts' customers for your generosity and for being part of the solution. Together, we're planting the seeds of a healthier future for our kids and community.
Rebecca Bar-Cohen, our North Bay Regional Manager, is pictured, left, in the apron, along with team members at Sprouts Farmers Market, San Rafael.
| | Ultra Processed Foods Face School Ban | | |
A first-in-the-nation government bill that seeks to identify and phase out the most harmful ultra-processed foods (UPFs) from school meals and campuses is due to come up before the senate. Assembly Bill 1264, authored by Assembly member Jesse Gabriel (D-Encino), has received strong bipartisan support. This measure could reshape what children eat at school, where many kids, especially those from low-income families, get a large portion of their daily nutrition.
Research shows that UPFs, foods engineered for maximum flavor but minimal nutrition, are addictive, drive overeating, and are linked to serious health risks, from obesity and diabetes to cancer, heart disease, and even depression. Nearly one-third of California’s children are already overweight or obese, and the numbers are even higher in under-resourced communities. These health challenges also spill into the classroom, where UPF consumption has been tied to poor academic performance.
If AB 1264 passes, schools will begin phasing out these foods in 2028, with a complete ban by 2035. This will be a significant step towards improving long-term health outcomes for the students we serve.
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This seasonal salad offers complex flavor combinations but couldn't be easier to make. Even better, our students love it, in part, because of the sweet hit the watermelon provides. Add cucumber, mint, (or basil), olive oil, feta (optional) and lime juice and you're done. We're using this recipe for many of our first lessons, as it also provides a great introduction to safe knife skills while the simplicity, taste and attractive look of the dish help to build kitchen confidence very quickly. Try it for yourself.
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"I looked for a smaller non-profit, because I wanted to give to a cause that matters in my own community."
D.K., San Francisco.
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