April 8 Family Cooking Event to Help Feed Tornado Victims
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CrEATe Lab students prepare a meal during a session of the spring 2023 series on February 10, 2023, at The ARTSpace on Main.
visitors Can Learn How to Prepare nutritious Snacks during drop-in event
Families and visitors of all ages are invited to a free, drop-in food event from 1-3 p.m. Saturday, April 8, at The Arts & Science Center, 701 S. Main St. in Pine Bluff.
Attendees can learn how to create three different snacks that are easy, nutritious, and affordable, said Faith Anaya, who is leading the activity.
This will also be an opportunity to give back. A portion of the snacks assembled will be donated to Potluck Food Rescue for those displaced by the March 31 tornados in central Arkansas.
The menu includes:
Brooke’s Two-Bean Salsa with Chips – Make your own salsa.
Trail Mix – Single-portion size that can go into a backpack or the car. (A portion of these will be donated.)
Yogurt Parfaits – Use a variety of your favorite fruit to create your own sweet snack.
Faith Anaya (In purple) demonstrates proper knife skills to CrEATe Lab students during a class in February 2023.
The family food activity is for ASC’s April Second Saturday Family FunDay. The monthly program offers monthly, hands-on arts and science activities suitable for all ages. It is always free.
This also offers a taste of ASC’s youth cooking program. Since January 2020, CrEATe Lab has helped families turn knowledge of dietary choices into meals that they will enjoy and can afford, by offering a nutrition-based, hands-on cooking series. The classes are open to ages 10-17.
Registration is now open for the next series of CrEATe Lab, which is a weeklong summer camp from July 10-14.
ASC has partnered with Anaya for CrEATe Lab since the program was in its planning stages. Anaya – with assistance from the staff of her Little Rock-based cooking school Kids Cook! – leads the instruction of each class.
Throughout the course of each CrEATe Lab series, students learn how to independently prepare nutritious meals. The curriculum includes basic kitchen skills, understanding nutritional labels on food, and nutritious eating on a budget. The program also includes a community service component in which the students prepare a dish for a local food pantry or food program.
ASC and Anaya have incorporated this community service aspect into the public event “Kids Cookin’ For A Cause.” At the last one, held in December 2022, young community members were invited to prepare pasta dinners for programs served by Potluck.
Potluck serves food programs throughout Arkansas, including homeless shelters, food pantries, soup kitchens, emergency shelters, day centers for seniors, veterans’ centers, and childcare centers. The organization works with hundreds of businesses to collect unused food, and then divert it to community food programs within 24 hours.
Family FunDay is sponsored by the Pine Bluff Area Community Foundation, an affiliate of the Arkansas Community Foundation.
For more information about Family FunDay, contact ASC Education Programs Manager Shakeelah Rahmaan at srahmaan@asc701.org or call 870-536-3375.
Chance to Win Charlotte’s Web Ticket with Lucky Ducky Game
During April 8’s Family FunDay, visitors can also play “Lucky Ducky” for a chance to win a free ticket to ASC’s upcoming production Charlotte’s Web.
Visitors pick a rubber duck from the “pond” for a chance to win prizes, such as pencils, candy, small toys, or a Charlotte’s Web ticket.
