Camaraderie: Cooking Up Fun with the Boys and Girls Club

On Friday, October 8, 2010, we met with Susana Rojas, the director of the Mission Boys and Girls Club. We discussed the s. kitchen having a cooking program which would a class for children and parents/guardians. The class would be once a month on Saturdays for two hours. Each quarter (approximately three months) would have a cultural theme and topics for discussion.

Susana explained that there is a gap between children and parents, even among elementary school-age. The goal of the boys and girls club is to bridge this gap so that children may feel safe in expressing their feelings to their parents. we would like to encourage parents and children to eat more meals together. We would also like to educate parents and children to make healthier food choices and give them easy recipes so that they can cook together at home.

My family is very close to begin with, so it is hard for me to understand what causes such a gap in families. The meeting opened my eyes to cultural differences and challenges that other families face. Even though we don’t eat as many meals together any more, growing up we did and I believe that is why our family is still close even though my brother and sister no longer live at home. I also feel our strong family bond is what makes my brother and sister and I confident and independent.

I am excited to be a part of helping bridge families through cuisine, conversation, and camaraderie.