Thanks to a $2,500 grant received through the Cattaraugus Region Community Foundation last spring, St. Bonaventure University’s Warming House has started providing cooking and nutrition classes for its visitors.
The classes began on Sept. 21 and will continue once a month during October, November, February, March and April. Warming House guests can register for classes by signing up at the Warming House. Each class is held on location from noon-2 p.m.
According to Alice Miller Nation, director of the Franciscan Center for Social Concern, “The Warming House has served the greater Olean community for more than 40 years. The mission of the WH is to reaffirm the dignity of one another, gathering as community to nourish the body, mind and spirit.”
When deciding what to use the grant for, the grants team in the Franciscan Center for Social Concern at SBU looked at the needs of the community at the Warming House and chose what they deemed a good fit. The Cattaraugus Region Community Foundation agreed with this pick.
“The purpose of these classes is to offer opportunities for Warming House guests to learn new cooking skills or to expand their repertoire of ‘go to’ meals” said Miller Nation.
“Being what we believe is the oldest student-run soup kitchen in the country, the Olean community supports and has an interest in the service we provide to our hungry brothers and sisters. I believe this very well might be one of the reasons the Warming House received this generous grant from the Cattaraugus Region Community Foundation,” said Miller Nation.
Not only will the guests be able to gain a better understanding of cooking, but they will also have a good time and meet new people while doing it.
“The Warming House is a community center of sorts,” said Miller Nation. “Preparing meals with others is fun as well as a learning experience. Offering cooking classes gives our guests the opportunity to meet new people as well as learn new skills.”
Miller Nation also clarified that the guests will get to take all of the ingredients home to prepare that same meal there. Registration for the classes is essential in order to have enough for everyone. That way, struggling with food insecurity becomes less of a problem.
Alice Miller Nation and the rest of the Franciscan Center for Social Concern believe these new food classes will be an entertaining, helpful experience for the guests of the Warming House.
“I am really excited about offering this opportunity at the Warming House,” said Miller Nation. “Bringing our guests to the Warming House on a Saturday for fun, food and community is a great thing! I am hoping these classes inspire our guests to consider preparing more meals at home when possible.”
By Vanessa Donadio, News Assignment Editor
donadivj16@bonaventure.edu
