Indy Hunger Network partners with the Cooking Matters program to offer free cooking and nutrition education courses. Participants learn to prepare and eat healthy foods on a budget as a result of their participation in the classes. Since 2015, Indy Hunger Network has offered over 150 courses to date and began virtual programming via Zoom in 2020 to reach a broader audience, including Marion County and surrounding counties. Courses are available for adults, families, parents, and kids.
WHAT IS COOKING MATTERS?
Share Our Strength’s Cooking Matters program teaches participants to shop smarter, use nutrition information to make healthier choices, and cook delicious, affordable meals.
Cooking Matters provides professional-level curricula and instructional materials, training, evaluation, and national leadership support. Local program partners provide hands-on, grassroots-level resources, program customization, and relationships that are best addressed on the local level.
Cooking Matters is free to participants and to host sites. Our Cooking Matters staff bring their mobile kitchens to community centers, churches, food pantries, WIC clinics, and other locations throughout Indianapolis for in-person classes. In each course, participants cook a healthy meal together, learning both hands-on cooking skills and learning about specific nutrition concepts. Participants eat the meal together, and leave with the ingredients needed to make the same meal at home with their own families. In our virtual classes, participants are sent ingredients directly to their homes and can follow along with the instructor in real time. At the end of the course series, participants receive a graduation gift for completion.
GET INVOLVED
There are several ways to get involved in Cooking Matters. Please reach out to us using the form at the bottom of this page if you have questions.
Join a class – If you would like to learn how to cook healthy foods on a budget, join us for a Cooking Matters class! We have in-person and virtual classes, and courses are available as 6-week courses, 4-week courses, or one-time, one-hour classes. Find a class near you by contacting us using the form below.
Volunteer – Our program is led entirely by volunteers and IHN staff. If you have a background in culinary arts or nutrition, we’d love to have your help leading classes. We also have a variety of other volunteer roles available. Other volunteer roles range from assisting in in-person classes, virtual classes, and data evaluation. If you’re interested in helping with the Cooking Matters program in Indianapolis, please contact us.
Host a course at your organization – Indy Hunger Network can host Cooking Matters courses at sites in Marion County and its surrounding counties. Located outside of these counties? Our team has created a toolkit to help guide sites in beginning their own partnership with Cooking Matters. Contact us to learn more.
COOKING MATTERS INTEREST FORM
Have a question about Cooking Matters? Fill out the form below to send us a message, and we’ll be in touch.