Boys & Girls Club earns awards for nutrition education

MOSES LAKE — The Boys & Girls Clubs of the Columbia Basin have been recognized yet again.  

The Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction recently honored the club with not one, but three awards for excellence in nutrition education, according to an announcement from the club. 

“The state actually nominated us themselves for these awards, which was a huge honor, because they've seen the initiatives our clubs have taken in regard to nutrition education this past year,” Director of Operations Cecily Hendricks said. 

The Boys & Girls Club participates in the Child and Adult Care Food program, in which the club is reimbursed by the state for the snacks that it serves the children.  

“Our club served over 37,900 after-school snacks last year alone through CACFP, ensuring local kids receive the nourishment they need to thrive,” Resource Development Director Anastasia Carpenter wrote in the announcement. “These awards recognize our commitment to promoting healthy eating habits and providing valuable nutrition education to our Club members.” 

Along with providing snacks, Boys & Girls Clubs offers enrichment programs to teach the students about nutrition and where their food comes from, Hendricks said. There are hands-on cooking classes at both the Moses Lake and Kittitas County sites, and the club has started a program in conjunction with the U.S. Department of Agriculture called Farm2Fork Explorers. 

“Once a month, we're taking a group of Club kids to a local farm or local organization that produces food, and they go on a tour,” Hendricks said. “(They) meet a farmer or whoever is operating that site and they get to learn about that type of food, how it's made (and) get to taste the food. Then after the field trip, we do a little nutrition lesson with them on that type of food and do a little cooking class with them.” 

One recent trip was to a Lay’s potato chip plant, Hendricks said. The students were able to watch potato chips being made and then learn about the nutritional value of potatoes and ideas for how to make a healthy snack with them. The Farm2Fork Explorers program was what brought the Boys & Girls Club to OSPI’s attention, she added. 

The three awards were given to Hendricks, Child Nutrition Coordinator Jesse Pelham and the club as a whole, Hendricks said. 

“(Farm2Fork) will be a program that we're continuing over the next few years,” Hendricks said. “Parents and caregivers can sign their kids up anytime, and at some point, they'll be able to go on one of these experiences.” 

More information about programs at the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Columbia Basin can be found at bngclub.org or by emailing anastasia@bngclub.org. 

    The Boys & Girls Club Farm2Fork Explorers roasted pumpkins and made pumpkin pie from scratch in November.
  

    The Boys & Girls Club Farm2Fork Explorers program includes cooking lessons, like this class in making homemade whole wheat banana muffins.