Thrifty Foods Nutrition Program

Food is a big part of life in the Pathways Seniors’ Program. Clients can often be found making jam or soup for a hot lunch. Pathways program facilitator Marlene Luinstra explains why food is so important to these seniors.

A year into starting our jam making program I had eight clients around a table mashing peaches to make peach jam. What came up was a chance for them to reminisce. Most of them come from a generation where the school system did not meet their needs but what they had were these really fabulous moms and dads who were involved in their lives. So what you’ll discover in this particular part of the population is that a lot of the “house arts” are what they’re really good at. Each and every one of them knew how to make jam and soups because these were things that their parents took the time to teach them and they would spend time in the family kitchen helping out. To me it’s a really lovely connection for them because they’re able to recall things they’ve done with somebody who loved and cared about them. And they’re able to share those memories with the people they’re with.
 

Many thanks to Thrifty Foods for funding our nutrition program, promoting health and creating smiles.