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#THCtestimony: THC Volunteer Jenn Taylor spends time with residents in the kitchen

As a wife, mother, and teacher, Jenn Taylor wears many hats. Perhaps most notably for Trent Hill Center residents, though, she wears a chef’s hat.

For the past year, Jenn has been leading a cooking class for Trent Hill Center residents. The idea came about, she said, during a conversation with THC’s Executive Director about how she could get involved with the Center. “We discussed help with homework, gardening, and one-on-one mentoring. During the conversation, I mentioned that I enjoy cooking and had taught cooking classes in the past as part of my job as a teacher. Scottie loved this idea as an opportunity to teach the kids a life skill while sharing something I am excited about,” she says. 

Since then, cooking class has been a staple for THC residents, who join Jenn in the kitchen every two weeks. Classes are structured in one of two ways. One route involves bringing a set of recipes that all tie into a central theme. “We may make different versions of one type of dish, or we might make different dishes with a main ingredient,” she explains. The alternative option, which is more freestyle, involves providing a set of ingredients, indicating a theme, and setting the young chefs loose! “They get to be creative within that theme and create a dish from the ingredients available,” she says. The end result? “The kids all share what they have cooked with each other, and I love the looks of pride on their faces. They are also terrific about cleaning up the dishes and kitchen before we leave.”

On several occasions, cooking class participants have taken the fruits of their labor back to the Center to share with the rest of the group, as well as the staff. Dishes range from light, fluffy pancakes to a Thanksgiving feast!

During cooking class, Jenn makes it a point to share a few cooking-related tips: “I talk with them about grocery shopping and cost, measuring ingredients, preparing ingredients, and cooking methods.” Amid the labor of love and lessons learned, the biggest highlight, she says, is the kids’ sense of accomplishment.“I love to see how proud they are as they share their dish with the group. They know that they created something delicious. They also know that they can do it again.”

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