Sunday Suppers enhances the overall health and wellness of families through the transformative power of family meals, serving low-income neighborhoods in Philadelphia – a city with the highest rate of poverty and food insecurity among the 10 largest cities in the U.S.
Our five-month program centers around a weekly family meal made with ingredients that are familiar, affordable, and accessible. Every fall and spring, we bring together a new cohort of families who learn about fresh and healthier foods, different cooking techniques, simple nutrition facts, and the importance of eating together. Following an interactive lesson, families sit down and enjoy the dinner they helped prepare. At the end of the meal, families are given a to-go bag, with the ingredients and recipes for that night’s supper, to take home and make on their own.
The goal of Sunday Suppers is to provide each family with the information, equipment, and hands-on skills necessary for physically and emotionally healthier lives. We believe that instilling confidence is the first step towards healthy cooking in the home kitchen and empowering families to become more engaged with each other and their communities.
The family meal is the cornerstone of Sunday Suppers. We bring families together to teach the importance of nutrition and healthy cooking techniques, while building on the well-chronicled benefits that accrue from sharing a family meal. While for many families sitting around the table to share a meal is a new experience, they quickly embrace the concept and value the time they spend together.
Sunday Suppers reaches beyond food access to provide education, resources, and support to families who are not familiar with healthy and fresh food options. This has a significant and positive effect on the lives of the families we serve. To further support reaching their goals, our families receive the kitchen tools and utensils they are lacking to cook healthier meals.
In addition to healthier cooking and eating behaviors, participants in our program – who are often isolated and without a network of social support – report greater communication and cohesiveness within their own families, while being part of a larger, supportive community. When our families come together, they build a foundation from which trust, social connection, and change can happen.
