October 6, 2020
Olivewood Celebrates Cooking For Salud® Graduates with Caravan Graduation Ceremony
Friend,

Last month, we hosted a caravan graduation ceremony in the garden to celebrate 14 Latinx home chefs in generation 17 of our Cooking for Salud® program. While the class itself was unlike other generations, the resolve, commitment, and dedication to health and community was. After nearly a five-month break, our final two classes were offered virtually and culminated in a drive-through celebration that featured specially prepared dishes from graduates, live musical performances and speeches. The fall 2020 Cooking for Salud® graduation was complete with bundles of flowers and fresh herbs from the garden, commendations from elected officials and an opportunity for graduates to share their story. Friend, please enjoy this short overview video of the Cooking for Salud® generation 17 graduation day.
Olivewood Welcomes Cooking For Salud® Generation 18
Generation 18 will kick-off early this month. The Cooking for Salud® program will include live demos from chefs, recipe sharing and a produce basket each week to ensure participants can follow along from home. This virtual version of our Cooking for Salud® program will also have chances for participants to connect, share and build their community. Through this program, we continue to provide access to education, tools, and resources for our shared San Diego community to battle food insecurity and inequities in health outcomes. Friend, what do you say – will you help us cultivate a healthier community? Make a donation today to support our life-changing programs.
Latinx Heritage Month: September 15 to October 15
Latinx Heritage Month recognizes and honors the enduring contributions and importance of Latinx Americans in our shared communities. Latinx Heritage Month pays homage to the many diverse cultures, extensive histories and traditions of Latinx Americans with ancestors from Mexico, the Caribbean, Spain and Central and South America. Olivewood is proud to celebrate the significant impact the Latinx community has made, and honor the women and men who share their knowledge, experiences, skills and family traditions with us all.
Friend, we need your help to build a healthier San Diego
We are so excited to announce our new Roots for Health Monthly Giving Program. Are you passionate about health equity and food justice? Please consider becoming a "root" for health so we can continue to grow and harvest food for our donation-based produce stand, and offer virtual field trips for elementary students, learning opportunities for Kitchenistas, and internships for our high school students.


– Jen Nation, Executive Director, Olivewood Gardens & Learning Center
Join Our Mid-Read Book Club Discussion: Thursday, October 8, 5:30 PM
Join us Thursday, October 8 to virtually connect and reflect on the reading from our second book club read, "The Color of Food: Stories of Race, Resilience and Farming" by Natasha Bowens. The Olivewood Book Club is committed to amplifying the voices and experiences of BIPOC communities, food justice, racial equity, and moving education to action. Save your spot today!
We're Having a Chefcitos Cook-Along: Saturday, October 10, 10 AM
Do you have plans on Saturday, October 10 from 10 to 11 a.m.? Join us for a hands-on, family friendly virtual Chefcitos Go Go Garbanzo Cooking Class! Grab the kids and join Olivewood's Nutrition Educator Rebecca to learn how to make a creamy hummus and oven-roasted garbanzo bean snacks with terrific flavor that kids are sure to love. Don't miss out on all the fun!
We're Hosting a Virtual Vegan Desserts Cooking Class: Thursday, October 22, 5 PM
Join us Thursday, October 22 for a fun and informative livestream Vegan Desserts Virtual Class where we will show you some creative, plant-based dessert recipes that are perfect for the upcoming holiday season! Each class, we will compile kits with the main ingredients from the recipes for you to pick up and easily cook alongside us. Will you join us?
Garden Explorers is back with Art in the Outdoors, Saturday, October 24, 11AM!
Garden Explorers is an outdoor, educational adventure where students engage with nature through science. Participants will connect to nature through learning about different plants and plant parts and using them to create their own art pieces! Sign your kiddo up to let them get creative in the garden.
Updates from the Garden
San Diego Green Building Council Selects Olivewood as 2020 Legacy Project
We are so proud and grateful to be selected by San Diego Green Building Council as their 2020 Legacy Project. In early October, volunteers from San Diego Green Building Council, Greenbuild and Olivewood will don face masks and pick up garden tools to install a water catchment system, blueberry patch, shade structure and mural.
Olivewood and A Reason to Survive (ARTS) Unite to Mobilize the Next Generation of Sustainable Community Leaders
Olivewood and ARTS are proud to join forces to deliver a two-semester internship for National City youth rooted in outdoor learning, health, creativity and sustainability. This program was made possible thanks to grant support from The San Diego Foundation's Opening the Outdoors Program, which aims to protect, connect and increase equitable access to the outdoors for communities of concern through repeat, reinforcing outdoor engagement.
Coffee-inspired Happy Hour Hang
Last month, we hosted a virtual happy hour that featured a completely free beverage-making demonstration on our Facebook Live. Olivewood's Cooking for Salud® Coordinator Patty Corona hosted the coffee-inspired happy hour hang where she taught viewers how to create a traditional Mexican drink and led a discussion on the Kitchenista's Mariposa y Caracol Collective. Make sure to follow us on Facebook and turn on notifications to attend our future virtual events!
San Diego Union Tribune Shares Olivewood's Kitchenistas Program
In September, Olivewood was featured in San Diego Union Tribune where Kitchenistas – Jacqueline Ante and Sorina Vasquez – highlighted the importance of a healthy lifestyle, how food can combat chronic illness and the impact of the Kitchenistas program in our shared south San Diego community.
One of our Favorite No-Bake Kid-Friendly Recipes: Energy Bites
Looking for an easy no-bake snack to make with your kiddos? We have the perfect recipe! Check out this video from Olivewood's Chefcitos Cooking Class to learn how to make tasty oat and berry energy bites with Chefcito Giulianna. One of our favorite snacks that take less than 20 minutes to make!
Access to Technology and Low-Cost Internet
Access to technology at home is critical to the quality of a student's education, yet many students in America lack internet access.That's why our friends at Cox are working to provide opportunities for families and students by offering low-cost internet to qualified households. For qualified families who sign-up by December 31, 2020 Cox will provide two months of free service and resources for discounted, refurbished equipment through its association with PCs for People.
Do you need more time to pay your energy bill?
Hardship is everywhere right now and SDG&E doesn't want its customers to worry about their energy bills. Learn about solutions by visiting sdge.com/assistance. #sdge #energytips4u
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