{"type":"rich","version":"1.0","provider_name":"Transistor","provider_url":"https://transistor.fm","author_name":"Do Local Good","title":"A Seat at the Table: Building Community Through Food","html":"","width":"100%","height":180,"duration":1845,"description":"About the Episode What if the most powerful tool for fighting social isolation wasn’t a program, a PowerPoint, or a policy — but a meal shared around a kitchen table? In this episode of Do Local Good, host Yawa Idi sits down with Kathryn Way from Alberta Parenting for the Future Association (APFA) to explore how cultural cooking is breaking down barriers and building belonging in the Tri-region. Together, they unpack how a kitchen and the simple act of sharing a meal — can become a catalyst for community connection, mental health, and youth empowerment. The conversation digs into APFA’s “Stir It Up” cultural cooking program, which uses food as a vehicle for youth development, cross-cultural connection, and mental health skill-building. From learning patience while waiting for dough to rise, to standing beside someone from a completely different background and laughing about cake pops, the kitchen becomes a place where young people discover confidence, accountability, and a genuine sense of purpose. The discussion also explores how the program reaches Indigenous youth, newcomer families, and kids with diverse needs, weaving in Elders, the Seven Sacred Teachings, and a community fridge that gives youth a sense of contribution. In a region where rural isolation is real and resources are stretched, APFA is showing that something as simple as a recipe can spark massive change. This episode invites listeners to reconsider what youth programming can look like when it starts with belonging rather than curriculum — and asks: What becomes possible when we give young people a seat at the table? Featured Programs and Resources Alberta Parenting for the Future Association (APFA) Alberta Parenting for the Future Association (APFA) has been strengthening family connections in the Tri-Municipal Area for 30 years. Based at the Family Connection Centre in Stony Plain and serving Spruce Grove, Parkland County, As a Provincial Family Resource Network and the Hub for the Tri-Region,...","thumbnail_url":"https://img.transistorcdn.com/FI-2dfnJWZg0REAasnKRPqMsM4SS-vmkhx1C7qkuNwY/rs:fill:0:0:1/w:400/h:400/q:60/mb:500000/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbWct/dXBsb2FkLXByb2R1/Y3Rpb24udHJhbnNp/c3Rvci5mbS8wMDli/NjQ3N2Q2MWMxZjJj/MTVjNzc2ODJhMjEw/NDk3NC5qcGc.webp","thumbnail_width":300,"thumbnail_height":300}