Edgewood Commons, Washington D.C.—Back in March, the Capital Area Food Bank (CAFB) education team joined Giant Food nutritionists and guests from the American Heart Association and Georgetown Hospital to host a ConnectEd session for CAFB partner agencies. ConnectEd is a collaborative workshop for food bank partners to discuss how food and nutrition impact the health of the communities they serve. It’s a chance for partners to interact with health care providers, nutritionists and health educators directly, in an informal classroom setting.
This session focused on the management and prevention of heart disease—the leading cause of death among Americans, through good food, nutrition and stress management. Attendees sampled recipes prepared by Giant nutritionists from the CAFB recipe cards; participated in breathing exercises; and shared their own experiences with stress and working with those with stress related diseases.
Giant Food in-store nutritionists Leslie Jefferson and Roxana Eshani begin a cooking demonstration for CAFB partners
“We were happy with the vibe,” said Katherine Donnelly, Education Specialist at the Capital Area Food Bank. “ConnectEd is a great way to create a sharing, learning environment for our partners.”
CAFB partners shared some of the myriad issues in the communities they serve with the panelists during the interactive session. Panelists taught partners how to access shareable, health resources from the American Heart Association website and informed them about nutritionists available at Giant stores that can help customers shop for heart healthy products. CAFB representatives showed partners how to find wellness food when ordering from the food bank and how to use the recipe card guidelines.
The event was an overall success. Both partners and panelists were open, honest and willing to discuss health issues affecting our communities and share important resources. And even get in a light yoga session!
Want More ConnectED?
If you’re a partner and would like to attend the next ConnectEd event, please contact Katherine at kdonnelly@capitalareafoodbank.org.
Upcoming Sessions
| Date | Topic | Location | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tuesday April 24th | Food Safety For Food Banks | CAFB DC | ||
| Tuesday May 29th | How Do You Cook Your Greens? Sharing Your Food Story | Maryland Partner | ||
| Tuesday June 26th | Find it on the Menu | NOVA Partner | ||
| Tuesday July 31st | Food Safety For Food Banks | CAFB NOVA | ||
| Tuesday August 28th | How to Become a Partner for Wellness | CAFB DC | ||
| Tuesday September 4th | How Do You Cook Your Beans? Sharing Your Food Story | TBD | ||