Love cooking? So do the Junior League of Charlotte members who bring healthy cooking classes to Davidson through the Ada Cooks! placement.

The Ada Cooks! program operates out of the Ada Jenkins Center, a community organization focused on alleviating poverty by providing food, clothing, health/dental services, educational programs and other support.

Through the program, which was started by a Davidson College student in 2014, JLC members teach cooking classes to children and adults, emphasizing healthy (low sodium, low fat, less sugar) and low cost recipes. Demonstrations have included recipes for healthy chicken tacos, sweet potato breakfast bowls, grilled chicken lettuce wraps, chili and make-your-own granola bars. The group provides a grocery bag full of ingredients for participants to take home and try.

“Food is such a great conversation starter and most people that are at the food pantry come in a crisis or emergency situation and do not necessarily want to be there. They come in and are nervous or embarrassed and being able to open up to them with a conversation about food is so special. Our culture revolves around food and you really do get an insight into someone’s life when they tell you how their grandma used to make a dish or how their grandson likes this but not that,” said Junior League of Charlotte member Sarah Drake, who is doing the Ada Cooks! placement for a second year. She added, “Being involved with Ada Cooks! truly makes you realize how blessed you are and the gratification you get from providing someone with the means to prepare a healthy meal is a great feeling!”

-Written by Sarah Wetenhall