When I learned I’d been placed with Common Threads, I was genuinely excited. Over the past few years, I’ve developed a passion for cooking; especially learning how to do it well on a budget. Common Threads immediately resonated with me because of its mission to make healthy cooking accessible and culturally relevant. While I didn’t come in with formal nutrition experience, I was eager to learn and contribute in a hands-on way.

After relocating from Ohio to Miami, one of Common Threads’ main markets, I found myself adjusting to a new city alongside a new role. At Common Threads, my early weeks focused on onboarding and learning the organization from the inside out. I met with team members across departments to better understand the programs and mission. Stepping into a role so different from my previous experiences was intimidating at first, but with the support of my supervisor and colleagues, I quickly gained confidence.

Reflecting on this experience so far, it has been defined by learning, adaptation, and growth. Becoming deeply involved in an organization in a short period can be daunting, but the Common Threads team has been welcoming and supportive throughout. I’ve moved from feeling uncertain to feeling confident and connected to the mission. As I continue this journey, I’m excited to build on this foundation, deepening the research, listening to students, and helping shape programming that makes cooking and nutrition more accessible.

Written By: Allison Bunyan | Emerson Fellow

I applied for the Bill Emerson National Hunger Fellowship in order to learn how I could enter the anti-hunger field. I wanted to better understand the root causes of hunger and poverty, how to apply a racial equity lens to my work, and learn how I could orient my passions of sustainable agriculture and healthy food systems toward solving complex social problems. My interest in this field grew over time as I pursued work in international development, environmental conservation, organic farming, and food systems development. Upon my acceptance into the program, I was thrilled to move across the country to Miami, FL for my field placement with Common Threads! In my time with Common Threads, my work and contribution to the organization was focused in three main areas. 

Marketing and Communications (M&C)

Before working with Common Threads, I served as a Food Systems Development AmeriCorps Member in Reno, Nevada creating social media content for the Desert Farming Initiative (DFI), an organic farm. In the hope of building on that experience, I listed Media/Communications as one of my skills in my Emerson Fellowship application; I was overjoyed to find out that I would get to focus on M&C with Common Threads. As a member of the M&C team, I composed blogs, drafted and scheduled social media content, created newsletters, and captured photo and video content. I also helped ensure that posts, across all social media platforms, accurately depicted Common Threads’ diverse audience. Overall, I learned how to manage digital media and market programs in a professional, organized, and efficient way. I also learned how to write content and create compelling graphics that fit into a branded story and engage an audience.

Cooking and Nutrition Education: Teaching Small Bites

In 2019, I served in Peace Corps Mongolia as a Health Volunteer; I assisted with English lessons and co-taught elementary, middle, and secondary students on a range of health and life skills topics. While working with Common Threads, I was able to build on that experience by facilitating an after-school Small Bites class teaching nutrition and healthy snack-making to middle school students. At first, I was quite nervous, but I recognized that it would be an amazing opportunity to teach on my own for the first time. My main goals were to 1) Bring my students into the lesson planning/preparation process and 2) Cater each lesson to their needs and preferences.

Of course, teaching did not come without its challenges. My biggest challenge was getting the class’s attention and engaging them in the lesson. I began to focus on getting to know my students and asking for their feedback, which improved my rapport with them. As I learned how to make each lesson more enjoyable for my students, I found myself enjoying the experience more and more as well. In the end, I finished the course feeling more confident in my teaching abilities and I plan to continue pursuing teaching opportunities in the future!

DEI Progress Report

The final portion of my field placement with Common Threads focused on leading the writing process for their inaugural Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Progress Report. The purpose of this report is to document the progress made from their different DEI projects, identify areas for improvement, and pinpoint future priorities. The goal for the final report is to drive internal conversations around DEI and hold the organization accountable to its values. 

I was honored to be part of drafting such an important  report and I felt supported from every direction as I started drafting an outline, co-leading stakeholder feedback sessions, and writing different sections of the report. This work required me to gather feedback from staff across multiple departments, which was overwhelming at first, but over time, as I settled into my role, I appreciated the opportunity to improve my skills in project management and interacting with the staff. I also found that my work with the M&C team directly supported my work on the DEI Progress Report. As I learned about Common Threads’ DEI work, I already had a breadth of knowledge about everything that Common Threads does which helped me quickly get my bearings in leading the report writing process. I am excited to see the final draft of the report in spring 2023!

I am so thankful to have had this opportunity to work with Common Threads! From the very beginning, I felt welcomed, accepted, and taken care of by the team. They supported me in getting to know Miami, adjusting to working remotely, and even navigating hurricane season in Florida.  I have learned how to tell Common Threads’ story, teach nutrition and snack-making, and track the progress of DEI work. I also improved my skills in critical writing, research, social media, community outreach, project management, and applying a racial equity lens to my work. These skills will no doubt benefit me as I move into my policy placement, attend graduate school, and begin a career in anti-hunger work. Life in Miami was a wonderful whirlwind of new experiences, knowledge, fun adventures, and a time I won’t soon forget! 

Written By: Michelle Truong

In honor of Indigenous Peoples’ Day in October and National Native American Heritage Month in November, Common Threads invited Jenni Lessard, a Canadian-based chef and the Interim Executive Director of the Indigenous Culinary of Associated Nations, to share about her heritage and to conduct a cooking demo with an Indigenous recipe. Chef Lessard is an entrepreneur, consultant, mother and member of the Métis Nation of Saskatchewan, located in Canada.

Chef Jenni chose to prepare bannock, which simply means bread, along with rosehip butter and local berries. While preparing her quick and easy bannock, adapted from her Great Aunt’s recipe, Chef Jenni opened up about her life, inspirations, upbringing and her indigenous culture.  While it wasn’t originally considered an indigenous food, bannock became common to nearly all of North America’s first peoples.  

One reason for the popularity of bannock and its quick adoption as a dietary staple was that it could be made with the rations that were given to tribes after reserves were created. An Indian Reserve is land that was set aside under the Indian Act by the Crown (the government in Canada.) This Act was originally passed in 1876 and authorized the government to regulate and administer the day-to-day lives of registered Indians and reserve communities. Rations often included items like white flour, white sugar, lard, white rice and baking powder– all of which were foods that departed from native lean proteins and vegetables like bison, berries, and plants. 

As Chef Jenni combined flour, wheat flour, brown sugar, oil and water into a sticky dough, we learned that bannock is as versatile as it is tasty. The dough can be made into a loaf, individual smaller flatbreads, pizza crust, and even cinnamon buns. As she kneaded the dough, Chef Jenni reflected on one of her first jobs, which was creating patient menus using indigenous ingredients for a children’s hospital. She recalls using bannock dough to wrap around pizza filling to create “pizza pops” which were eagerly enjoyed by the patients!

While the discussion was often light-hearted, Chef Jenni also shared about some of the dark past that was experienced by Indigenous people. Chef Jenni stopped herself from preparing any foods as she reflected on the sorrowful history of Indigenous people in Canada. One of the many things Chef Jenni shared is that your mood and thoughts while cooking can affect your food. She stressed that the way you cook and how you’re feeling makes a huge difference to your food. This is why she encourages the practice of thinking about things that make you feel happy and peaceful while cooking. 

Common Threads agrees with Chef Jenni that preparing healthy meals and beloved cultural foods is good for the soul! Common Threads is grateful to Chef Jenni for sharing her heritage and her special recipe with us. We hope that in the spirit of celebrating history and food that you enjoy Chef Jenni’s bannock recipe below to prepare as a snack or a part of a feast for your own family! 

Learn more about Chef Jenni by visiting her website https://www.jennilessard.com!

BANNOCK RECIPE

Materials: 1 large bowl, 1 cup measure, liquid measure cup (can use dry measure if necessary), measuring spoons, baking sheet and parchment paper

Ingredients:

• 3 cups whole wheat flour
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 3 Tbsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 Tbsp. brown sugar
• ½ cup oil or melted lard
• 3 ½ to 4 cups cold water

Instructions:

1. In a large bowl, combine both flours, baking powder, salt and brown sugar. 

Add oil and  then add water gradually, mixing with your hands until all the dry ingredients are incorporated

1. Continue to add the water gradually until the dough is the consistency of a thick biscuit dough. 
2. Turn out the dough onto a floured counter and knead for a few minutes. 
3. Form the dough into a 12 inch by 12-inch circle and bake 30-35 min at 375 F or until golden brown. 

Written By: Alanna McCoy

October is recognized as Farm to School Month, an opportunity to celebrate the connections and partnerships between students, schools, local food, and farms. Everyday, Farm to School programs across the country are supporting local agriculture, increasing the amount of nutrient rich meals served at schools, and empowering children and families to make healthier food choices.

On September 28, 2022 the White House recognized and addressed the critical role that school food plays in improving the health and nutrition of students in its Strategy on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health. Pillar 3 includes a focus on increasing access to local foods to improve the food environment and connect people to healthy options, including at school. As described in the Strategy, the USDA will continue their work to “strengthen and diversify the suppliers that provide healthy, nutritious, and local foods to schools.” Common Threads is excited to champion this Pillar of the White House’s Strategy (among others) and celebrate Farm to School month!

Common Threads was awarded a USDA Farm to School Grant in 2020 and is a proud Farm to School program partner. Our Farm to School project is focused in Chicago, where we are working to refine a farmer-informed local sourcing system for our organization that highlights produce grown in the communities we serve. A few examples of our current farm partnerships partners include The Farm on Ogden, Cedillos Fresh Produce, and Just Roots Chicago, with which we are working to bring unique programming to schools in North Lawndale and surrounding neighborhoods. 

In Farm to School Small Bites Workshops, students 3-5 engage in interactive nutrition education, learning about seasonal fruits and veggies and working together to prepare a healthy, locally grown snack. In Farm to School Cooking Skills classes, students learn how to roast, bake, saute, and use knives properly as they prepare healthy meals alongside a professional chef, using local ingredients from Chicago-based urban farms. To date, students have had the opportunity to prepare meals like Loaded Farmer’s Baked Potato with Garlicky String Beans and Minestrone Soup with Herb Crostini. 

This year, Common Threads is honored to have the generous support of Builders Initiative in addition to the USDA, which is allowing us to expand programming and provide more students with Farm to School education experiences. Further, this support is allowing us to build our capacity to meaningfully engage farmers and other food system leaders in designing a local sourcing system for our organization that benefits all stakeholders, including urban farms, chefs instructors, students, and families.

Rooted in our belief that food is medicine, Common Threads’ programs provide a strong foundation for positive lifelong nutrition and grow well being in our communities. Join us as we celebrate Farm to School month and visit or shop a local farm or produce stand near you. You can find local farms by visiting www.localharvest.org. To support Common Threads and find out more about our Farm to School programs visit. www.commonthreads.org/programs.

ABOUT COMMON THREADS

Common Threads is a national nonprofit that provides children and families cooking and nutrition education to encourage healthy habits that contribute to wellness. We equip under-resourced communities with information to make affordable, nutritious and appealing food choices wherever they live, work, learn, and play.

Written by: Alejandra Zamora

Since Common Threads’ inception nearly two decades ago, the organization has  always had great engagement and support from corporate and foundation partners over the years, with several groups stepping forward to indicate support for cooking and nutrition education. In late 2020, one particular partnership started heating up, opening a spicy new world for Common Threads. 

First We Feast is a digital media brand that bridges the gap between food, drinks and pop culture. You may know them from two of their most well-loved programs, The Burger Show and Hot Ones, which are fun, niche-specific shows that talk with A-list celebrities like Kevin Hart, Elijah Wood and Charlize Theron all while making you drool for burgers and wings. The First We Feast team approached Common Threads via email in fall 2020, indicating that the organization was very aligned with First We Feast’s goals for cause marketing. The resulting conversations showed that First We Feast is just as passionate and delighted about food and nutrition as Common Threads is. 

“When we were looking for charities to partner with, we fell in love with Common Threads,” said Dominique Burroughs, a producer at First We Feast. “The mission of giving back to the communities by teaching the next generation about nutrition and providing meals to families in need was so powerful; we wanted to be a part of it.”

The Common Threads team quickly realized that a partnership between two different brands that both prioritized making good food fun and approachable would flourish. Now, a little over a year since Common Threads was selected as the official charity partner of First We Feast, so many wonderful creations and rewards have come about as a result. Here are some of our favorite highlights of the Common Threads x First We Feast friendship.

Holiday Extravaganza

Picture Hot Ones host Sean Evans and iconic chef Gordon Ramsay chaotically laughing (and try not to break down) while eating super spicy wings and acclaimed rapper and producer T-Pain accepting a trophy shaped like a bottle of hot sauce. That’s essentially a glimpse of what went down at the Hot Ones Holiday Extravaganza, one of our biggest fundraising collaborations with First We Feast that resulted in over $130,000 in funds raised for Common Threads during the 2021 holiday season. 

As Evans said, “every little bit counts to help kids in under-resourced communities make affordable, nutritious and appealing food choices wherever they live, work, learn and play.”

The Holiday Extravaganza also featured the launch of Hot Ones Jr., a mild, green hot sauce that was specially created for children. Four students from longtime Common Threads partner Brooklyn Green School were featured as product testers. The tastefully green sauce celebrates an array of complementary flavors like mildly spicy jalapeño peppers, tart green apples, sweet bananas and other yummy ingredients. 

 “As a project, it’s probably one of things we’re most proud of in our nearly 10 years as a brand, and the ‘Hot Ones Jr,’ segment that we produced with the help of students from Common Threads was so fun and heartwarming,” said Chris Schonberger, the creator and executive producer of Hot Ones. “Seeing our audience rally around the cause and donate nearly $130,000 really galvanized the team around the impact this partnership can have.”

Summer Health Campaign

A staple of Common Threads is its annual Summer Health Campaign, where the team initiates a focused fundraising and awareness effort to address issues of food insecurity in the summer months. The end of school also means the end of reliable, consistent meals like breakfast and lunch for the length of the break, as well as a “summer slide” of knowledge that happens because students are out of the classroom for a long period of time. When First We Feast heard of Common Threads’ goal to combat some of these typical occurrences, they jumped on board with their support, helping to promote the campaign. In total, the campaign exceeded its $15,000 fundraising goal! 

So many nutritious summer recipes and health tips were shared with and loved by students and more thanks to this campaign; in fact, Burroughs found a new favorite drink thanks to the summer health campaign! 

“The strawberry pineapple agua fresca is a fun, refreshing drink on a hot day. I’ve actually made it a few times and had the ingredients ready in my fridge all last summer!”

Hot Ones Products for Kids

Children are the main motivators behind everything we do at Common Threads, so it was only natural that First We Feast created their very own hot sauce for kids.

First We Feast also created a puzzle for kids (and kids-at-heart) to solve when they’re not teasing their taste buds with heat. A portion of the proceeds from each puzzle sale benefits Common Threads, yet another way for the First We Feast brand to give back.

Clearly, the love is felt all around, from our Common Threads class students to our friends at First We Feast and employees here at our organization, including our CEO and co-founder, Linda Novick-O’Keefe.

“After 18 years of doing this work, one of my biggest lessons has been that partnerships matter. In fact, partnerships are everything,” she said. “Common Threads is grateful to be the official charity partner of First We Feast; their support has raised funding for our programs and generated awareness for our organization and the importance and connection between healthy cooking, eating and living.”

Common Threads’ partnership with First We Feast has been nothing short of amazing and a great success since inception, and we can’t wait to see what else we cook up in the near future. Stay tuned! 

ABOUT COMMON THREADS

Common Threads is a national nonprofit that provides children and families cooking and nutrition education to encourage healthy habits that contribute to wellness. We equip under-resourced communities with information to make affordable, nutritious and appealing food choices wherever they live, work, learn, and play. We know that food is rooted in culture and tradition so we promote diversity in our lessons and recipes, encouraging our participants to celebrate the world around them.