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Our Mission
Our mission is to inspire kids to eat their vegetables. We teach
children in low-income elementary schools cooking, nutrition,
gardening, and active play to improve our health, environment,
and economy.
Why Food Literacy is Needed
In Sacramento, 40% of children suffer from childhood obesity or
are overweight. This directly increases their risk for Type 2
diabetes. These diet-related diseases are preventable if we eat
our vegetables. Yet only 4% of kids are eating the recommended
amount of fruits and veggies.
We work in low-income schools where students are at highest risk
for diet-related diseases. Most of them are food and nutrition
insecure.
How We Help Kids
We serve Title 1 schools in the Sacramento City Unified School
District, focusing on South Sacramento. We inspire kids to eat
their vegetables through hands-on cooking and nutrition classes.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we also offer free online
learning resources, and distribute take-home veggie recipe
kits to food and nutrition insecure students and their
families We are bringing joy and a trauma-informed food
literacy teaching approach to promote resilience, giving our kids
a healthier future!
Food Literacy Education
We provide weekly 45-minute food literacy classes delivered over
14 weeks in nine low-income elementary schools. In our
classrooms, students learn fruit and vegetable appreciation, how
to read a recipe, cooking skills – and they have fun. We are
unique in that we use positive reinforcement, getting kids
excited about fruits and vegetables through culturally
appropriate recipes, and hands-on activities.
After receiving food literacy education
- 96% of kids say healthy snacks taste good (attitude change)
- 96% know how to read an easy recipe (knowledge)
- 85% of students fearlessly tasted a new fruit or vegetable
each week through our Produce of the Day tasting (behavior)
We are changing kids’ attitude, knowledge and behavior
toward healthy eating.
Food Literacy Center is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization.
Donations to Food Literacy Center are tax deductible to the
extent allowed by law. Federal tax ID #45-3973268.
Cooking School
Our new center is now open! We will be home to a city-run
community garden, Food Literacy Center’s cooking school and
headquarters, and student gardens managed by our program staff.
This state-of-the-art, green facility being built will include
and support:
- Cooking School, where 30+ students will learn to cook healthy
meals.
- Prep Kitchen, where our staff and volunteers will prep food
and cooking supplies for after school programs across the school
district focused on Title 1 schools.
- Training & Office Space, where our staff will train future
instructors of our curriculum, and manage the day-to-day
operations of this 2.5-acre facility that will reach over 1,000
students/week.
- Community Programs, where we will host family cooking
classes, school field trips and more!
The new space will allow us to expand programs and impact more
kids! Find out more on our Cooking School webpage.
Food Literacy Center is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization.
Donations to Food Literacy Center are tax deductible to the
extent allowed by law. Federal tax ID #45-3973268.
Receive a Thank You Gift
If you would like to receive a thank you gift for your donation,
you can choose an option below. Our well-loved shirts are
available with a $50 donation and our new book is available
starting at $16. *The value of goods and services is not tax
deductible. Your donation will not be fully
tax-deductible.
Food Literacy Center is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization.
Donations to Food Literacy Center are tax deductible to the
extent allowed by law. Federal tax ID #45-3973268.
Major Donors
Major donors make substantial investments in the future of our
organization and programs. They ensure a stable future with
long-term support. There are many ways to make a major gift
including event sponsorships, and
name
recognition opportunities. If you are interested
in becoming a major donor, please email
development@foodliteracycenter.org or complete the major
donor pledge form below and
email it to us.
Food Literacy Center is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization.
Donations to Food Literacy Center are tax deductible to the
extent allowed by law. Federal tax ID #45-3973268.
