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Three Easy Ways to Make a Healthier Thanksgiving Meal
Thanksgiving is right around the corner, which means it is time to give thanks and gather with our loved ones! Food is one of the most important traditions during Thanksgiving, with many families selecting dishes like turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing and green beans for their meal. Other families incorporate dishes from their family or cultural heritage for this special occasion.
Nutrition Equity in South Florida: Virtual Panel Discussion
In late October, Common Threads teamed up with local leaders to hold a virtual panel discussion focused on nutrition equity in South Florida. Common Threads Co-Founder and CEO Linda Novick O’Keefe led a discussion with two Miami-Dade County School principals, the CEO of the area’s largest food bank, and three elected officials representing various South Florida communities.
Supporting School-Based Cooking and Nutrition Education with ESSER Funding
To help meet new and emerging needs of school communities during and after the pandemic, historic levels of federal funding for K-12 schools and districts are available through the American Rescue Plan’s ESSER (Elementary & Secondary School Emergency Relief) funds. These dollars can be used to support schools with re-opening, to enhance COVID-19 safety protocols, and to support broad-ranging student services.
Love, Remembrance & Connection: Learn more about the Dia de los Muertos Celebration and Meaning
Dia de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, is a traditional holiday first practiced thousand of years ago by indigenous people such as the Aztecs and the Toltecs. They didn’t consider death the end of one’s existence but simply another chapter of life. Rather than grieve for their dead, ancient Mexicans celebrated the lives of the deceased and honored their memories. During Dia de los Muertos, observed October 31 – November 2, they believed that the dead had a brief window to leave the spirit realm and visit their loved ones in the mortal world.
An Evaluation & Reflection: Did students benefit from virtual nutrition education during the COVID-19 pandemic?
Schools have reopened, but the pandemic has not ended. In the past year, Common Threads offered virtual nutrition education classes to thousands of students across the country. After a program evaluation, the Research & Evaluation team identified how students benefited from participating in these e-lessons.
Practicing Mindful Eating
Fall into healthy habits this season by practicing mindful eating. So what is mindful eating? Mindful eating is not a diet, and there are no rules or menus. Mindful eating refers to applying mindfulness techniques to eating.
Upcoming Events
*All events are in Central Time (CST).
Nutrition Equity in South Florida
Tuesday, October 26, 2021
Common Threads is convening leaders within our community for a virtual panel discussion focused on nutrition equity
LEARN MORE
In the News
Run through the Fire
– an interview with CEO Linda Novick O’Keefe (BizCastHQ, 6/7/17)
Common Threads, Top Box, & Mariano's Partner for COVID-19 Relief
Chicago Food Magazine, 4/13/20
Café La Trova Team Feeds Families During Pandemic
(Miami New Times, 4/6/20)
U.S. senators should stop playing politics with America’s hungry children
(The Miami Herald, 7/23/20)
Cooking For Life
film from TakeCare, 2019
Healthy Thanksgiving recipes with Tamron Hall
(Tamron Hall, 11/27/20)
Common Threads: The Power of Using Food for Change and Education
(KitchenChat, 7/29/19)
Common Threads Pittsburgh provides meal kits for the holidays
(WPXL NEWS, 12/20/20)
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Yum Academy Recipe – Veggie & Fruit Two Ways
Fried Rice Recipe
Yum Academy Recipe – Strawberry Lemonade
SNAP-Ed NYC Chef
Testimonials
Firstly, I would like to thank you all for providing a virtual Summer Cooking Camp. It was not just a cooking experience, Eliza learned yoga, all about what is a fruit and what is a vegetable. They also read, had drawing lessons, and learned about healthy eating. Eilza was able to follow the lessons without falling behind. As per Eliza, her experience was fun and exciting. She really enjoyed it. Eating healthy is a practice we implement at home. But she learned new things like mixing fruits and meat together. And everything was delicious. Eliza’s favorite part of the cooking lessons is creating new foods and learning how her plate should look- rainbow plate. Excellent! Eliza enjoyed using all the supplies that were sent for her to use. Overally as a parent I give your program a 10 out of 10. It was very informative and full of new experiences for my daughter. Thank you for this opportunity.
Mercedez Torres
This program is a phenomenal way for students to enjoy cooking and culture, while learning about making healthy lifestyle choices. At Colfax, we savor Common Threads as an integral after-school program for our students.
Casey Weiss
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Miami is thankful to have such a strong community partner in Common Threads. During the COVID-19 crisis, our Littles and their families did not have enough food to eat. Thanks to Common Threads, hot food to cover four days was secured from Cafe La Trova. In times of crisis, humanity and partnership always win!
Gale Nelson
Please know that the Carrie P. Meek family is truly grateful for the support that the Common Threads program is providing to our families. Without the Common Threads program, we would not be able to do this good deed! In addition, we thank all involved in making provisions to our families in the form of gift cards to support them during this unprecedented time. I am personally thankful and appreciative for your-in kind gift to our families in need.
Marchel Woods
My training as a chef gives me the platform to help others, which is why I work with Common Threads and other community organizations. “I knew I could not be on the sidelines wishing someone would help, and I am grateful to be part of the solution.
Bill Kim
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National Fact Sheet
Sponsor Benefits Doc
Communications Toolkit
Contact information for
Communications team
Jordan Fickess,
LaTrice Stirrup,
lstirrup@commonthreads.org
Empowering Our Community
Many of the communities in which we work will be especially vulnerable to the repercussions of the pandemic.
