Many Cooks in the Kitchen!

     Share the Dough was recently invited to teach a cooking class with one of our Change for Children partners, Generation Her.

Generation Her is a non-profit organization operating in Southern California, and their mission statement is to “seek to empower teenage mothers, ages 13-23, and their children by connecting them to a supportive community of other teen mothers and adult mentors, equipping them with desired life skills, and, ultimately, impacting their future in a positive way.”

Share the Dough arrived at the Generation Her headquarters with ingredients and recipes. There were moms, children, and mentors ready to give the recipes a try. They taught a quick and easy Chicken Enchilada Casserole and fried rice for the main dish. They had many hands working in the kitchen. Salad and Panera Bread baguettes were on the menu as well.

And what’s a cooking class without a little smoke coming from the pre-heating oven? Not to worry, it was a quick fix, and they were back to cooking in no time.

The teaching portion of the class ended with a quick cupcake decorating tutorial. The children loved this part, along with the moms, as they were able to make plain cupcakes beautiful with a quick swirl of frosting. The children’s eyes were wider than ever as they saw the finished cupcakes sitting before them, and they could not wait to dig in later.

Once all the items were prepared and cooked, everyone filled their plates with the delicious food.

The group sat outside in the cool evening air and enjoyed the food they had all prepared together. Many moms shared their stories and encouraged each other. Their tummies were full and their hearts were happy. It is always a success when people go back for seconds. Yum!

The night ended with a tour of the facility. The first stop was in the Resource Room. This is where moms come to check-in. They are able to get help with paper work, finances, school work and so much more. Another area on the tour was the storage room filled with diapers and other baby supplies. These items will be given to mothers throughout the year as needed. There is a large meeting room for moms where classes and discussion are held every week. Next door to the meeting room for the moms, there is a childcare room filled with games, activities and toys. Change for Children funds were used to help build this facility for Generation Her.

Generation Her is making a huge impact in the lives of the mothers and children in their community. They have resources, classes, conferences and so much more. For more information go to their website at https://www.generationher.org/