Nutritional, organic vegetables make an impact on Charlotte County Families
By Angie Matthiessen, Executive Director – United Way of Charlotte County
Yesterday was really special. It was the first day of the 2023-24 Worden Farm veggie box deliveries for the Kids Thrive - Circle of Parents at the Family Services Center. For the last three years, through a generous grant from Mosaic, families have been experiencing the excitement of learning to cook with the healthiest of foods.
Some readers of this column may recall my love of Worden Farm. Our family has been a member since our daughter was just one and she turns 17 this month. From our first visits there to now, it has become something we truly look forward to every November.
When I am in the kitchen chopping, creating, and smelling the freshness, I dream and vision so many things. My term for those special moments is ‘kitchen therapy’. Who reading this can relate? Whether it is baking holiday delights or a warm pot of veggie soup, something calming happens in the spirit and clears out the clutter in the mind. Not to mention, we all feel better eating fresh vegetables.
Kids Thrive - Circle of Parents are no exception. Several Women United members stopped by the Family Services Center yesterday to see the moms receiving their first veggie boxes of the season. Truly the excitement and joy were palpable as they described what they cook with the fresh goodness.
One mom is known as the chef who shares her cooking videos with the other families. Later in the day I was able to sneak peek a video demonstration of her Bok Choy Pork Stir Fry. Another made Caesar salad and fried zucchini. Several moms shared how both mother and father join each other in the kitchen to cook together.
As these mothers shared their recipes, they also expressed excitement for future gatherings at the Family Services Center teaching kitchen. This is an opportunity for cooking together, sharing ideas, and fellowship. The Circle of Parents theme for this year is health and wellness. United Way of Charlotte County will be supporting Circle of Parents in their chosen theme, so please stay tuned for ways you can help in the near future.
Jill Swan, Family Empowerment Director, was on site to chat with the families at the veggie pick-up table. “Families who struggle with generational poverty are disproportionately vulnerable to compiling negative outcomes because of food insecurity. Our culture bombards us with eating solutions that are fast, easy, and cheap. When a child is hungry, this negatively impacts learning and development. When parents are not in the habit of cooking and eating nutritional food, health outcomes are impacted. Hunger affects all aspects of a child’s and family’s life. UWCC and Women United invest in the Circle of Parents. Nutrition and home cooking of healthy, fresh organic vegetables is food for the body, brain, and soul.”
Shannon Vianello, Women United’s Impact Chair, was also there for veggie day. “Through their conversations, I noticed they have built a stepladder of support for each other. These strong women pull each other up and work together to build to the next level. It’s evident they are all cheering for each other to rise up and reach their own unique goals and dreams”.
Brent Anderson, Mosaic Public Affairs and Community Relations Manager, emphasized how the grant provided to UWCC aligns with the community investment mission for Mosaic. "We believe in the power of giving back, and we're proud to see our Mosaic family in action”.
The final Mosaic Cares Day of 2023 was held on Dec. 5. Employee volunteers fanned out across the Mosaic’s five-county operations area helping their community partners with everything from wrapping holiday gifts and providing career and leadership education to serving hot meals, sorting goods and delivering flowers to brighten someone’s day. Locally, Mosaic invests in several partners in addition to UWCC, such as the Homeless Coalition and Meals on Wheels. We are grateful for their investment in our Kids Thrive – Circle of Parents.
To learn about ways to engage with UWCC or for volunteer opportunities in Charlotte County, please visit: https://linktr.ee/charlottecountyuw
For more information about United Way of Charlotte County’s mission: Mobilizing the power of our community to break the cycle of poverty, please contact Angie Matthiessen, Executive Director. She can be reached at director@unitedwayccfl.org.
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About The Mosaic Company
The Mosaic Company is one of the world's leading producers and marketers of concentrated phosphate and potash crop nutrients. Mosaic is a single source provider of phosphate and potash fertilizers and feed ingredients for the global agriculture industry. More information on the company is available at www.mosaicco.com.