The Kitchen — Lunch Program & Life Skills

Since adding a kitchen to our building, Equal Opportunities West nourishes both body and mind through a lunch program. Many participants started with little knowledge of good nutrition; the program introduces new, healthy food options and simple ways to prepare them.

The kitchen is also a powerful teaching tool. Learning basic food preparation, serving skills, and clean-up breeds confidence and independence — and builds a valuable skill set that has led participants to jobs in the foodservice and hospitality industry.

It's also a lot of fun. Many participants now cite baking or cooking as a favourite pastime, and during the lunch hour the group learns the value of table manners and proper meal etiquette together.