Program addresses food insecurity, teaches kitchen skills to children

Rina Southall, a first-grade teacher at Oglethorpe County Primary School, wanted her daughter to be in after-school programs, but she left it to her to choose which one.

Her daughter’s pick? An after-school organization she feels “helps other people” — the Cooking to Share Program. 

Cooking to Share, run by the Oglethorpe County 4-H Club, allows fifth- and sixth-grade students to cook a meal for a family in need. Held monthly at the extension office in Crawford, approximately 25 students work alongside volunteers to practice their cooking skills, knowing their work will benefit a family in the county. 

“The fact that it was going to help someone locally, I think, was very impactful for her,” Southall said. 

At the Cooking to Share program on Nov. 17, kids made dishes like chicken pot pie, sweet potato casserole and cheddar bay biscuits. After a quick after-school snack, the county’s AmeriCorps staff member Amber Waldroup divided the kids into different groups. 

The groups went to different folding tables, where ingredients, bowls, utensils and recipe cards were laid out for them. Adult and teen volunteers were at each table to provide guidance and answer questions. 

As kids finished prepping their dishes and put them into the oven, they headed outside to play volleyball while the dishes finished cooking. By 5 p.m., the meal was complete and their parents trickled into the extension office parking lot to pick them up. 

Waldroup described the event as “organized chaos.” In spite of the challenges, she’s passionate about the program’s impact. 

“It’s a big deal to these kids,” Waldroup said. “Where else do you have a bunch of fifth- and sixth-graders cooking an entire meal?”

Finding a solution

A variety of factors can cause food insecurity, ranging from income levels to grocery store access. 

In 2020, the poverty level for Oglethorpe County was around 12%. The county has just one grocery store, compared to nearby Wilkes County, which has three stores, and Madison County, which has four, according to 2016 data. 

According to 2015 data from the USDA, 180 Oglethorpe County households lived more than 10 miles from the store and had no car.

From 2019-2021, approximately 10% of Georgia’s population was food insecure. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, food security means “access by all people at all times to enough food for an active, healthy life.” 

Over the last three years, nearly 4% of Georgia’s population experienced very low food insecurity, meaning a household is experiencing disrupted meals or missing them altogether. 

In 2013, Oglethorpe County 4-H agent Marcus Eason had an idea for combating food insecurity while simultaneously teaching students food and kitchen safety.

From 2007-2010, Eason worked as the Oconee County 4-H program assistant. During this time, he observed a similar program called Cooking to Care, where the kids would help cook a meal and eat it at the end of the event. 

“I knew the program was popular with the kids and would go far, so when I moved to Oglethorpe County, I tweaked the program to a more community service based project club, where the food is given to a local family in need,” Eason said in an email statement. 

Just three years before Eason started the program, a report showed that Georgia ranked ninth in the country for food-borne illnesses. Additionally, thousands of people are injured each year as a result of kitchen-related accidents. 

There was a need for kitchen education. 

With the help of 4-H teen leaders and adult volunteers, the kids learn about food safety and acquire basic kitchen skills, such as following recipes, measuring ingredients precisely and using kitchen tools safely. 

Since its inception, the program has served 78 families in the county, while teaching 2,000 4-Hers about cooking and food safety, according to the program’s 2022 impact statement. Since 2013, Cooking to Share has also received $6,000 in donations, which has gone to groceries and preparation. 

“It’s almost like watching a family cook for a holiday,” said Southall, regarding the atmosphere of the event. “There's just this happy feeling that is in the entire room.” 

Teaching kids, helping families 

Turley Howard, a school social worker for the Oglethorpe County School System, said the Cooking to Share Program helps around 9-10 families during the school year. Howard helps Eason coordinate which family will receive the meal each month.

"It helps families that are in the middle of difficulty because (the meals) are completely ready. There's nothing they have to do except pick it up, take it home and eat it," Howard said. "It makes for an easy night for a family that's probably not having a lot of easy times."

In addition to addressing food insecurity, the Cooking to Share program educates participants about foodborne illnesses, kitchen safety and cleanliness. The program also works to implant values of care and service among children, while giving them confidence in their skills.

"Cooking to Share shows them how to step outside of their little comfort zone and try to (help) other people," said Julie Holloman, a first-grade teacher at Oglethorpe County Primary School. 

Holloman said Cooking to Share has had a positive impact on her children. 

"They're making so many friends. There are several kids I pick up (from the program), and they are all smiling and happy and jumping around," Holloman said. "It's definitely something they look forward to." 

But, there are limitations to the program’s impact on the county. At 25, Eason said he’s reached the maximum number of kids he can accommodate, due to cost limitations and the number of the program’s adult volunteers. 

The program is extremely popular among 4-Hers; December is already full. 

“The challenge we're facing right now is there's so much involvement with the kids,” Eason said. “The question is — how can you really do more of it?” 

Currently, 4-H uses money from donations and a Walmart Healthy Habits grant to fund groceries for each meal. Waldroup said she tries to make use of any leftover ingredients to keep costs to a minimum. The grocery bill for the Nov. 17 program was $52, including after-school snacks for the kids and supplies — such as parchment paper — that can be reused for future meals. 

Howard said transportation can sometimes be a limitation for families who receive the food. 

“Not everybody has consistent reliable transportation, and that makes some things difficult,” Howard said.  “But usually, if that's the case, then we'll get it to the family.”

Plans for the future

Eason has spread the Cooking to Share program to other 4-H clubs throughout the state, and over the summer he hosted a Zoom call with 4-H agents across the country to inform them on how to start the program.

Eason also looks for ways to expand the program into other facilities. Churches are one place Eason wants to expand because many already have a kitchen and community service groups. He said he plans to connect with some churches early next year.

Waldroup has big plans for the program, too. She said she hopes they can one day have five churches in the area doing weekly meals, so they can provide meals to families every weekday. 

“I’ve done all I can really do here,” Eason said. “It’s a lot to do more than once a month, but if we really did want it to do more good and contribute to the community … we thought churches would be the best way.”