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Do Local Good is a podcast created by United Way of the Alberta Capital Region and the team of volunteers on the GenNEXT Cabinet. We feature stories and people from the Edmonton region to inform, inspire, and invite others to join us in building resilient and thriving communities. Listen in to learn about some of the local good already happening, and how you can be a part of the force for good!
00:00:00:05 - 00:00:20:23
Unknown
Hi everyone. Welcome back to the *Do Local Good* podcast, the podcast where we explore how simple acts can spark massive change right here in the Alberta Capital Region.
My name is Yawa. I'm from the United Way GenNEXT cabinet, and I'm so excited to be back for today's episode.
So today we're making things interesting. We are stepping out of the boardroom and into the kitchen.
00:00:21:01 - 00:00:43:01
Unknown
We often talk about networking in our careers.
But what about the original social network, which is sharing a meal? Before Twitter and Instagram and TikTok, we used to sit down around a kitchen table and chit-chat over a nice home-cooked meal.
And that wasn't satire; I know some people still do, but things have changed a lot since those times.
00:00:43:03 - 00:01:01:20
Unknown
And to talk about that, we're sitting down today with Alberta Parenting for the Future Association, otherwise known as APFA.
We're going to throw those four letters around a lot.
And now you probably hear the word "parenting" and you're thinking, "Okay, if I don't have kids, what does it have to do with me?" Either you're not at that stage yet, or maybe you're way past that stage, but the answer is yes,
00:01:01:20 - 00:01:25:00
Unknown
this is for you. Because it isn't just about teaching or parenting.
They're using food to break down cultural barriers, fight social isolation, and then build the kind of resilient community we all want to live, work, and thrive in. So today we're talking about their cultural cooking series, which sounds very yummy.
The mental health benefits behind breaking bread and how a seat at the table can change a life.
00:01:25:02 - 00:01:49:18
Unknown
So before we dig in, it's only right that I pass it off to my esteemed guest today, Kathryn, who's going to introduce a little bit about herself before jumping in to talk about APFA and that program.
Okay, a little bit about myself. So I'm Kathryn, I'm a mother, daughter, sister. I have three children. Actually,
can I say this? One of my kids works at the United Way.
00:01:49:20 - 00:02:17:16
Unknown
Oh, awesome! Yeah.
And I've been head of Alberta Parenting for 18 years, I think.
So, as we talk about today's program, I've had a lot of years to sort of watch, think, participate in process evaluations, outcome evaluations and, yeah.
So this project's very exciting to me. So you said 18 years.
So were you there from like, way before the program actually started together?
00:02:17:17 - 00:02:45:02
Unknown
Way before. We were in a different building. We just outgrew the building we were in ten years ago and took over an old seniors' home, sort of redesigned it, and created a community hub.
It's a project of APFA, and we got involved in social innovation, social purpose, and real estate enterprise.
Just ended up diving into a whole new world.
00:02:45:04 - 00:02:59:13
Unknown
So you're the perfect person to—well, there is one more perfect person and I'll take the role for today.
Okay. Awesome. And I know there is the "Stir It Up" series.
So before we kind of get into the conversation, like, what's the difference between the Cultural Cooking and the Stir It Up? Are they one and the same?
00:02:59:15 - 00:03:24:03
Unknown
They're sort of one and the same. It's really "Stir It Up,"
as a program, and then it just has these cultural components. You know, we're rural; we're out in Stony Plain.
So the one thing about APFA is that we have to really do a lot with a little.
So, we don't have enough to do, say, a whole thing—which doesn't mean we won't get there, right?
00:03:24:03 - 00:03:46:18
Unknown
A full Indigenous cooking series or for newcomers or different countries.
But we're trying to aim at our youth and bringing everyone in and then adding those cultural elements to it.
So with that being said, what inspired you to bring cultural cooking into your programming? And what does the phrase "a seat at the table" mean in the community context?
00:03:46:23 - 00:04:02:13
Unknown
Personally, I'm not that big of a foodie, but I know there's people where food is like a whole experience.
You know, you don't just sit down and eat and then go on your day. Well, sometimes I do, but for other people, it's like a whole experience, a whole meaningful thing.
So what inspired you to incorporate that?
00:04:02:13 - 00:04:30:10
Unknown
Well, I think when we think about the "Stir It Up" program and the cultural cooking component, it comes from our initial work.
So we work with families, with kids 0 to 18, their parents and caregivers.
And so we've always done that work. And then in the last five years, when we became a Family Resource Network as well, we started to really look at youth programming a little more; it was not something we had done as much before.
00:04:30:12 - 00:04:59:14
Unknown
So in our region, there's often a lot of talk about youth mental health.
But also at the same time, designing this or building this community hub, the Family Connection Center, we ended up being exposed to a whole new group of people—everyone from seniors to newcomers, because we also have a food rescue program.
And all of a sudden, we're seeing a lot of people who haven't had a seat at the table.
00:04:59:16 - 00:05:27:09
Unknown
And so we focused it on youth, but we were really trying to reach Indigenous families and newcomer families.
We also have four First Nations that are either within our service region or touch our service region.
So we have this opportunity to work with people that are often not given a chance to participate or be there.
00:05:27:11 - 00:05:48:01
Unknown
So it sounds like the whole premise of it was to have this informal programming where people can feel like they belong. And there are different ways to do that, where sometimes it's group activities. I also say I'm an advocate of being anti-PowerPoint presentation.
So not having the youth come in and sit down and listen to a PowerPoint presentation that they maybe don't care about.
00:05:48:01 - 00:06:04:11
Unknown
But food—which 12, 13, 14-year-old doesn't like food?
And it's not them just sitting down and eating. Do they also get to participate in cooking? Do they get to learn from elders?
Do they get to learn from other community members? How does that work? Yeah, totally.
And when you said that, I'm like, the worst thing you can do with youth is be boring.
00:06:04:11 - 00:06:26:04
Unknown
Yeah, absolutely. Well, I was thinking back to what you said in the beginning, and that was really also the inspiration.
We thought—for me growing up, a lot of what I know or the ways in which I moved through the world happened around a kitchen table, like with my mom, my grandparents, aunts, uncles.
So we knew, because this was an old senior center, that we had this kitchen.
And we're like, "Oh, this is a gift. We can make this work."
00:06:26:04 - 00:06:49:03
Unknown
Yeah, we can make this work. So, with the youth, we've definitely had elders.
And they came in and they did a teaching around bannock making.
But then the youth, not only did they get to make the bannock, but then they took it to a talking circle and shared it with the people that were at the talking circle.
00:06:49:05 - 00:07:14:21
Unknown
They also did some cooking and shared it with the Mousse Hi talking circle, which was around gender-based violence in May.
They also—we have people from different cultures and they've been able to bring relatives in to share.
One of the ways that we do want to grow it is maybe having people come in and do recipes from where they come from or their own culture.
00:07:14:23 - 00:07:44:03
Unknown
And so we've been really working with some of our United Way partners to sort of build those relationships.
But one thing we know for sure is relationships take a lot of work. You have to move slowly and really build on that.
But yeah, there are no PowerPoints. Sign me up! We even had Ben Calf Robe come in and they did the Seven Sacred Teachings before we did cooking, but they actually did this teaching and then gave the kids gifts.
00:07:44:03 - 00:08:02:21
Unknown
So they got to practice these skits and then look at which teaching they did.
And I think the one that really resonated with the youth was all around accountability.
And when you're in a kitchen, you have to practice accountability.
You can't say you screwed up that part of the recipe. It's kind of like, "Oh, shoot, we both..."
00:08:02:21 - 00:08:26:07
Unknown
Yeah, "I put a quarter cup of salt in there, that was really me."
So yeah, it's really hands-on learning. The kids themselves, they talk a lot about the sort of things they've learned is patience.
And for kids who are growing up in this TikTok/Instagram world with that immediate feedback—cooking doesn't happen that way.
00:08:26:08 - 00:08:43:04
Unknown
You know, you have to have patience. You have to, like, sometimes wait and let things simmer.
Another thing we hear from a lot of adults in the room is that kids don't know how to socialize anymore.
The kitchen is a busy place. There's no time for phones, number one, because you have to practice good hygiene.
00:08:43:05 - 00:09:04:16
Unknown
Yeah, so you can't pick up your phone.
But also, we just keep them busy and really invested in the cooking.
And so a lot of them talk about, "I learned to become patient." For some, maybe, who've had a really hard time being with other kids, they talk about "I can stand beside somebody"—and I know it probably sounds strange, but "I can make a recipe now."
00:09:04:16 - 00:09:30:07
Unknown
Like before, being beside other people kind of got them very agitated or overstimulated.
So now they can do that. Being able to plan ahead and handle your emotions—or have a plan of what you're going to do if you get upset because, you know, we're handling knives.
So, yeah, there's a lot of learning that comes—like the kitchen is just the tool for the learning.
00:09:30:07 - 00:09:49:00
Unknown
Yeah. And these are things you don't think about at the beginning, where maybe you tell someone, "Yeah, we have kids come in and cook and it helps their mental health," and you're like, "Oh, wow."
Which was like my question: how does that translate into tangible benefits for the kids that come in? You kind of touched on that a little bit.
00:09:49:00 - 00:10:11:11
Unknown
Yeah.
So if I think about the skills that people need to be successful—I mean, everybody's level of resilience or mental health is different.
But when you feel confident and competent, you know how to prioritize. You know how to plan ahead.
You start to use critical thinking skills: "If this doesn't work, what could I do instead?"
00:10:11:12 - 00:10:30:11
Unknown
And the kitchen is a place to fail. It's okay, and you learn that it's okay to fail.
I don't have to be perfect. Yeah, I had another thought, and I hope I come back to it because I've kind of forgotten it there.
But, yeah, the kitchen is such a great spot to build mental health skills.
00:10:30:13 - 00:10:44:02
Unknown
And then back to that connection piece too, where, like you said, in this day and age, it's easy to have the illusion of being connected on social media versus being in a kitchen surrounded by other people.
I don't want to say "forced," but in a way, you're kind of forced to connect.
You're forced to interact and socialize and make those connections.
00:10:44:02 - 00:11:00:01
Unknown
And have you seen that these are connections that are genuine and lasting with the kids? Maybe they come in one way, and then after a while they realize, "Okay, this kitchen is a place that I feel like I belong."
Yeah, yeah. And they will talk about that.
00:11:00:03 - 00:11:22:22
Unknown
We try multiple ways.
So we kind of have simple questions through chit-chat.
And while I look kind of old, another thing that we do really well is most of the staff working in the kitchen are 25 and under.
So they relate more. We're kind of there for guidance.
But the kids really identify that they've made a friend, or when somebody is not there, they're like, "Where are they?"
00:11:22:22 - 00:11:44:20
Unknown
"I hope they're okay." Or, you know, they'll say, "Oh, he's not coming tonight." And they're from a different school in the neighboring town.
But they know because they've created an online friendship now as well, which is part of who young people are, right?
Right. Yeah. And do you think there's something that's novel—like, how often do you hear about cooking programs or this kind of programming for youth?
00:11:44:22 - 00:12:04:09
Unknown
I think it's very novel. I think that we have lots of programs.
And in our region, there's not a lot of cooking programs. There's a lot of "learn to cook," but it's very structured and ours isn't.
You know, the fact that you can take a recipe home and follow it—wow, that's great.
But that's not the major outcome. So I think ours is new.
00:12:04:09 - 00:12:27:01
Unknown
The other two pieces that are really interesting in our program is that every four weeks, they make a meal that goes back into our community fridge.
So they are giving back to the community; they have that sense of purpose.
And when we talk to these youth—we did a whole engagement session.
00:12:27:01 - 00:12:49:15
Unknown
We made it fun.
We brought candy and we talked to them about why it was important.
And they said that it gave them a sense of purpose, which I think is really important for a lot of young people. They don't necessarily feel they have a sense of purpose, right? They were also able to identify who in their community might not have access to food.
00:12:49:17 - 00:13:10:11
Unknown
And that was really important. And then one of the young fellows put together a speech from all their information.
He spoke at a community group—he's only in grade seven—around different food resources in our community.
And his mom videotaped him and his dad showed it at his business, and they made a donation to the program.
Oh, wow!
00:13:10:11 - 00:13:30:01
Unknown
Just based off of that. Yeah. So these kids were like, "Oh, yeah, we can affect change." And they were able to identify very quickly things that could make it different for people.
Like, if people could make enough money to afford food, they should be able to.
So, you know, we asked them, "Can young people make a change?"
00:13:30:01 - 00:13:49:11
Unknown
And they did this early. Yeah, it was great.
And that point of purpose—because when you think about a kitchen or cooking in a "maker" sense, it is very purposeful.
Everything that you do, whether it's boiling water or adding a certain amount of salt or sugar, is with the intention of having a specific outcome.
00:13:49:12 - 00:14:07:00
Unknown
So having the kids come in and know, "I'm not just here to hang out, I'm here for a specific purpose," or "What I make is actually going somewhere or affecting change," makes a very big difference.
Which goes back to that mental health piece of improved outcomes in youth—it's awesome.
And kind of going back to having the kids in the kitchen—do they all come from different backgrounds?
00:14:07:00 - 00:14:19:08
Unknown
What do they have to talk about with each other? You can almost think at first, "What am I going to say to this person when I get in this kitchen? I don't know them from a can of paint."
But yeah, how do those conversations actually come up? Well, you know, it's really funny because we have kids who are Indigenous and non-Indigenous.
00:14:19:08 - 00:14:45:06
Unknown
We have kids from other countries where English isn't their first language.
We have kids who come with a respite worker because they wouldn't be able to attend the program otherwise.
And you think to yourself, "What are they talking about?" And sometimes you just lean over and it's usually silly stuff like, "Onions burn your eyes, did you know that?" Or at one point we got food rescue and they were sweet potatoes, not yams, but they all thought they were potatoes.
00:14:45:12 - 00:15:09:23
Unknown
They're just silly.
Their conversations are very silly, which is all you need sometimes for kids. Maybe this is their space to not talk about the serious things or worry about the things happening in their life.
It's like you've given them a space where they can literally just be kids.
And yeah, well, you said the kitchen is a place to fail.
I think that's a really important lesson where you can screw up a recipe.
00:15:24:09 - 00:15:42:18
Unknown
Yeah, and it's not the end of the world.
You can just come back and try again, which does translate to how I think real life should be, where you make a mistake and it's not the end of the world; you get the chance to try again.
Yes. And I was thinking too, at one point they were all talking about cake pops, because apparently, cake pops are not universal.
00:15:42:21 - 00:16:00:22
Unknown
For people in other countries, they were like, "What is a cake pop?" Oh, and that became a whole conversation one day, and then we had to make cake pops because, what are these? So I guess if you're from a country where cake is just different shapes—that was a thing.
"With a stick, and you eat it on it!"
00:16:00:22 - 00:16:34:14
Unknown
Yeah, it was very funny.
And they teach me a lot. They teach me to slow down and to really listen to people.
And throughout this year, we've had a number of different iterations of the program.
The youth have really identified that they feel our building is safe, which I think for us is the most important outcome. And once a month they bring their parents and anybody who's a loved one in their life.
00:16:34:16 - 00:16:55:10
Unknown
So, just gathering with multi-generations, like extending those connections.
And with this being a novel thing that you shared, it sounds really impactful.
I'm sure there are some challenges that you have in terms of resources or capacity.
What have you seen as the toughest?
00:16:55:12 - 00:17:19:01
Unknown
Well, for sure, resources.
It's a labor-intensive program because we also work with the schools, and our region has protocols around certain youth that may be high-risk.
And we really welcome them into the program as well.
We want every youth to be able to be successful, but that means having more staff members.
00:17:19:01 - 00:17:41:21
Unknown
And so I think it is an expensive program. Food is also really expensive.
So we have multiple supporters there that help with the program.
And also, because we're in a rural region, it's interesting—in Stony Plain, the buses get out at one time, and in Spruce Grove they get out at a different time.
00:17:41:23 - 00:18:15:13
Unknown
So trying to pick a time that works with everyone—that's been a bit tricky.
And ideally, it's worked out well that kids have made such incredible friendships, but it would be nice to be able to offer a program for people with similar experiences—where maybe for some of our LGBTQ youth, we really create this safe space.
00:18:15:15 - 00:18:38:08
Unknown
But maybe it would be nice to have programs that could—I don't know that there's enough time or days in the week to do it all, but.
Right, yeah. Just because we're small; it's hard in rural areas to be able to do everything.
So we just have tried to make it as inclusive as possible and really listen to the youth themselves.
00:18:38:10 - 00:18:52:15
Unknown
So if you were to paint a picture of how the program works—how many kids on any given day, how many days a week, how you buy ingredients, how you pick recipes—what does that look like? Well, we kind of run it in 12-week blocks.
00:18:52:15 - 00:19:19:03
Unknown
So sometimes we have kids who can only do one 12-week block and then some continuously come through.
The first month, we kind of pick the recipes for later, but it's very structured in the first week to assess the kids' skills and build those friendships.
To see what kind of skills they have around knives before we just... it's like cooking skills, like a sous chef.
00:19:19:07 - 00:19:39:19
Unknown
Yeah, so like the first week we tend to do something that requires a lot of chopping of a vegetable or fruit and a fun food, and then figure out what kinds of foods they like.
And we do a mix of "make your own recipe" versus "work as a team."
Once a week in the four-week series—
00:19:39:19 - 00:19:58:04
Unknown
so they do it three times— they do a fun food and some sort of activity.
We've often had speakers come in, like Ben Calf Robe or a group to talk, and then they make a meal to take home, and they make a meal for the community.
And then the last one is one to share with the family.
00:19:58:06 - 00:20:19:15
Unknown
By the time we've hit the last four weeks, we've really hit our stride.
And we also get that mentorship piece because the kids who stay in are able to mentor the new kids.
So yeah, it feels like it's not really structured, that there's this room, but it's very structured.
00:20:19:15 - 00:20:39:04
Unknown
Yeah. Like on the back end, you're not just throwing the kids in the kitchen and saying, "Okay, just cook something up." There's a plan in place, but then when the kids get in the kitchen, they don't feel that structure.
And it's organized enough where you know they're going to gain these skills or have this experience.
00:20:39:09 - 00:21:08:22
Unknown
And it's grown so much. In December, we're actually outside the kitchen doing a lot of the prep work and then doing the cooking in the ovens inside.
So we're like, "How do we include more kids and utilize the space differently?" That has been a new creative piece that we're trying.
And I think it's working well because with the kids spread out a little bit more, it's easier to see things happen quickly, like if there is going to be a conflict, you can sort of catch it and address it.
00:21:09:00 - 00:21:26:07
Unknown
Yeah. And for some kids, they have sensory issues too.
So the kitchen with the fans can be loud.
And when you see kids in the kitchen, how many kids are in there at any given time? We try to keep it at 12 if they were in the kitchen, and that's about five staff.
00:21:26:08 - 00:21:45:04
Unknown
But when we move it out, we can have upwards of 25. Okay, yeah, so a big group.
Yes, those are the two main areas. And when they come with their families—sometimes they bring a neighbor, a favorite senior that they know— we've had like 70 people all eating their meal together.
00:21:45:06 - 00:22:10:17
Unknown
So yeah, it gets really hectic. And when you talk about that mentorship piece—obviously the kids make connections with each other,
but what has your connection with the kids been like? Or what do they see you as? It's really interesting, because at first I tried to stay a bit in the background because I'm older.
00:22:10:20 - 00:22:28:06
Unknown
My kids are in their 20s, I see it.
But then one day, the session was coming to an end and we were starting the next one.
And this one young fella—I thought he thought I was really boring, to be honest.
And then he said, "Well, will you be here?" and I said, "Oh yeah, I'll be there."
00:22:28:06 - 00:22:49:07
Unknown
And he was like, "Yes!" and I was like, "Oh, you want me to be?" Yes!
I think I'm cool, I'm cool. But the thing is, sometimes I just try to be me.
I can't pretend I'm young because I'm not. And all kids spot people that are not authentic right away.
You cannot pretend to be cool or know stuff.
00:22:49:08 - 00:23:14:02
Unknown
Yeah, like you just have to... yeah.
"I'm older, I don't know what you're talking about." Yeah, it's true, but I just keep busy.
One of the other things that we try to incorporate in there is time to play, and I almost forgot to mention that.
Play is so important to youth.
00:23:14:04 - 00:23:39:02
Unknown
When I sit at tables with other adults, one of the things that they often wish for kids 11 and up is that they could play more.
And recently—I do have to give a plug—we were the Engineering Day of Caring project this year, and they created this wonderful sort of treehouse that these youth, if they finish early, cannot wait to get out and play in.
And the kitchen is a place to play as well.
00:23:39:04 - 00:23:58:17
Unknown
I think that most kids don't get to do that.
So when you say "play," does that mean they'll finish the meal and then they'll have a chance to run around outside?
Yeah. So sometimes it's tag, sometimes it's soccer, sometimes it's an imaginative game.
Sometimes they want a very specific one, and sometimes they just want to grab a stick and run around and pretend they're pirates.
00:23:58:17 - 00:24:21:06
Unknown
In a ship—and it's a treehouse, but... so, obviously there's the workers and then you have the kids.
Are there volunteers? A lot of our listeners look for ways to be hands-on with the programs connected with United Way.
Is there space for that? We typically never say no to volunteers.
00:24:21:06 - 00:24:47:20
Unknown
And we have somebody at our office who does take that information. We can always use volunteer help with our food rescue program.
Sometimes with the youth, there are just processes that we have to go through, like you have to do your criminal record check.
And all of our staff are Brain Story certified, which is free.
00:24:47:22 - 00:25:11:20
Unknown
And we really encourage any volunteers to also do that.
That trauma-informed lens is so important, and Brain Story is incredible. It's free—if you haven't done it, do it!
Well, we'll plug it for everyone listening right now. Go to Brain Story.
The food rescue day is a day we can always really use help, or packaging the food up.
00:25:11:20 - 00:25:32:05
Unknown
Sometimes they only get enough time to make the food and they don't get to package it.
Sometimes we do pre-prep when the kids aren't there and then they finish it and make it, because then they get to put the sticker on and put it in the fridge and see it.
And just to clarify, is the food rescue day an add-on? It's just something that our community hub started to do.
00:25:32:05 - 00:25:56:01
Unknown
So families 0 to 99 in Parkland County, Stony Plain, and Spruce Grove on Wednesdays.
Whatever food we receive from the local food bank is just there, free to families. Okay, yeah.
Obviously, this is a very impactful program. What do you think the impact would be if this wasn't there anymore?
00:25:56:01 - 00:26:20:14
Unknown
If the kids coming in didn't have this as an option anymore—they didn't get to make these connections or learn these skills?
Oh my gosh. If I go back to the mental health piece again, so many of these kids have not had the opportunity to build skills.
00:26:53:18 - 00:27:12:09
Unknown
No, 100%. And that capacity piece too—it's like a simple example, but I made guacamole from scratch for the first time because I had these overripe avocados.
And the feeling of taking this thing—I'm like, "This could either turn out disastrous and I could waste these five avocados and destroy my self-esteem, or create something good."
00:27:12:09 - 00:27:24:21
Unknown
And I shared it with my friends and they were like, "Oh, this is great! I need the recipe for this." And on the inside I was like, "Oh my God, I made something that tasted good that people liked!"
It really is a game changer. And obviously, I like to consider that I am still young, but for a 12 or 13-year-old, having that type of confidence where they made something that somebody valued goes a long way.
00:27:24:21 - 00:27:41:06
Unknown
And that piece of "stealing self-esteem"—which sounds like what would happen if this program wasn't there anymore.
You would steal the opportunity or steal the self-esteem from anywhere from 12 to 25 youth. Yeah.
Which is devastating. So I hope that this program gets to continue. What are the plans for that? To continue to make it bigger?
00:27:41:06 - 00:28:11:08
Unknown
Maybe come into the city? We'll definitely continue in January, and we're just kind of playing with some process pieces around capacity for staff.
Okay, awesome. So maybe that's the next field trip for GenNEXT, which is our youth volunteer cabinet.
So technically, we fit the criteria for the program! We'll have to take a field trip.
00:28:11:09 - 00:28:33:04
Unknown
Well, thank you for making me feel young, too. Okay, we're all youth! But I know we did take that field trip to tour APFA, but now the field trip is going to have to be to participate in the program and make something delicious.
And we do bring people in to cook with them, like our mental health community connectors from the local Kickstand project.
00:28:33:05 - 00:28:56:02
Unknown
They'll come and they'll cook with them. And as the young people say, "vibe" with them.
Okay, so GenNEXT will be coming to "vibe"—there you go!
Okay. Awesome. This is an incredible way to look at how something as simple as a recipe can become a catalyst for community connection in ways we never expected.
00:28:56:02 - 00:29:16:19
Unknown
So a huge thank you to yourself and all our other friends at the Alberta Parenting for the Future Association for sharing your story and taking time to come all the way from Stony Plain.
I'm sure it was a nice 40-50 minute drive in these winter conditions.
But here is your digital handshake for the week: if you're inspired by the idea of using your skills, whether that's cooking, budgeting, or just being a friendly face to help a neighbor, we want you on our team.
00:29:16:19 - 00:29:41:10
Unknown
You can find the link in the show notes or go to YouTube or Spotify to see the latest volunteer opportunities with United Way partners like the APFA.
And like Kathryn shared, they're always looking for people to help out with the food rescue program.
And I'm sure that includes getting a meal afterwards?
Oh, well, we could do that just for you, volunteer! You get some food from the organization.
00:29:58:02 - 00:30:17:05
Unknown
So thank you so much.
You don't have to be an expert chef, I'm sure.
Or they'll do a little testing to see whether or not you can chop the carrots or the bell peppers.
But either way, thank you so much for listening. My name is Yawa Idi, and I was so excited to have Kathryn here sharing all the amazing work that's happening with the youth at APFA.
00:30:17:07 - 00:30:24:22
Unknown
And this is your sign to "Do Local Good." So we hope you enjoyed the episode.
We enjoyed being here and talking, and we will see you all next time.