A community kitchen is an event where a group of people get together to cook dinner together in a social atmosphere. After preparing the food, they sit down and share the meal. There are many benefits to a community kitchen that include new friends, new skills and new food experiences.
BCCPD’s CARMA program sponsors the Able Community Kitchen which meets once a month at George Pearson Centre, a care facility that is home for people with disabilities of all ages. The community kitchen brings together Pearson residents and community members to share food knowledge and meal preparation skills. For residents at George Pearson, it offers a rare opportunity to participate in the planning and preparation of their own meals and to experience the joy of sharing a meal with others. Apart from the community kitchen, Pearson residents’ daily meals are mass produced by the company contracted to provide food services to the facility, so residents have limited hospital style choices and solitary dining experiences.
During the growing season, the Able Community Kitchen receives fresh produce from the gardens just outside the building. This bounty of organic fruit and vegetables is provided by CARMA’s Farmers on 57th project, an urban agriculture initiative, which includes accessible community gardens.
Able Community Kitchen cooks a different meal from scratch each month. The menu has included chili with garlic bread, BBQ, enchiladas, lasagna, strata, coconut curry and even moose stew. Every meal includes a fresh kale salad from the gardens outside. Community members are invited to dinner for a $3 — 5 donation. If you would like to join us for dinner or volunteer with us, email gpccommunitykitchen@gmail.com for more information.
To learn more about Able Community Kitchen and other Kitchens in Vancouver, visit www.communitykitchens.ca. For more information about CARMA visit http://www.bccpd.bc.ca/programs/carma/.