NPA Helps Combat Hunger with Feeding America
Celebrity Chef Candice Kumai Teaches and Demonstrates Nutritious Meals to Children in Need
To help bring awareness and combat hunger, National Pasta Association’s Pasta Fits ambassador chef Candice Kumai hosted a cooking class at The Community Food Bank of New Jersey on Wednesday, October 26th. Feeding America’s Kids Café provides free, prepared food and nutritional education to hungry children. Chef Candice Kumai exposed children ages 5-12 to healthy pasta meals that are “Nutritious and Delicious”, and instrumental to children’s health, growth and development.
The afterschool Kids Café is designed to help children escape the cycle of poverty and provide academic tutoring, recreational activities and a nutritious meal they might not otherwise receive. The cooking demonstration performed by Candice Kumai provided a step by step presentation to 40 enthusiastic kids on how to prepare a quick, nutritious, kid-friendly pasta dish. During the class Candice effectively described the nutritional value of pasta, vegetables, protein, and introduced the children to different kinds of food, in addition to teaching them basic cooking skills and the importance of safety in the kitchen.
“I am thrilled to be a part of the National Pasta Association Pasta Fits campaign and be able to partake in such a great cause to help provide fundamental facts about nutrition to such amazing children.” said Ms. Kumai. “I truly commend all the tremendous efforts made on behalf of the Community Food Bank of NJ for helping so many kids stay off the streets and providing and caring for the well-being of our next generation”.
Kids dressed in personalized chef hats and aprons were extremely enthusiastic to learn about pasta, new food and try new tastes. The event was not just about feeding the kids with nutritious food, it was also about educating and empowering the children to make better decisions about their health, and was a huge success on both counts.
Members of the National Pasta Association, Ronzoni and American Italian Pasta Company, donated pounds of pasta to the Food Bank to be distributed to the Feeding America program which helps Americans struggling with hunger. Several pounds of pasta and the ingredients used for the cooking demonstration were prepped by the Executive Chef, Paul Kapner and his contributing team of The Food Service Training Academy, a culinary job-training program that provides individuals with an opportunity to gain skills that qualify them for employment possibilities with a living wage.
