FWMB Gives Back: Kids in the Kitchen

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Kids in the kitchen

Several times throughout the year, the Fort Worth Moms Blog shines a spotlight on non-profits throughout Tarrant County that impact the lives of local mothers and/or children. It is our hope that these posts become less of an informational, educational piece and more of a motivator and mobilizer for action. Below you will find immediate, short-term action steps you can take to impact this non-profit in positive ways. Let’s walk our talk and truly make Tarrant County an even better place to call home!

Here’s the Scoop

Have you heard of the program Kids in the Kitchen? No, it isn’t an intensive course in home cooking for kiddos (although that is a good idea); Kids in the Kitchen is the brainchild of the Junior League of Fort Worth.

The program teaches kids in second through fifth grade the importance of a healthy diet, getting outside and moving around, and just taking care of themselves in general. Kids in four FWISD schools learn about portion size, what foods to limit (sugary drinks, junk food, etc.), exercise, and more over the course of a week. At the end of the week, each school has a pep rally to celebrate and recap what they have learned. Prizes are even raffled!

Why is this program important? And how is it impacting Tarrant County children? For starters, it shapes — and possibly re-shapes — children’s understanding of nutrition by teaching them to think about what they are eating and why they are eating. It helps them understand how to provide fuel for their bodies that is more balanced and energizing. With the obesity epidemic at all time highs in this country, teaching proper nutrition and self-care to young children is important because it not only impacts today’s choices, but it also impacts their families and their future decisions and health.

In 2016, Kids in the Kitchen reached 1,300 children and hopes to raise that number to 1,500 this year. All right, dear readers, here is where the rubber meets the road: Do you care about nutrition, especially in the lives of Fort Worth children? Is this a non-profit that ignites a passion? If you answer, YES, then keep reading. You CAN help in REAL ways.

girl at tableHere’s How We Help

The focus of this article is to provide ways you can help in the short-term. Of course, there are other ways to support this program in the long term — like becoming a Junior League member, advocating for this program in FWISD schools, and so forth.

So, how can you help right now?

Attend. Bring your kids to the Kids in the Kitchen Health Fair. Parents and children can get information on resources available in the Fort Worth area. Health and wellness activities will show children how to grow herbs in the home, provide them with short and fun exercises, give sample food classes to parents, and much more. There will also be prizes given out to contest winners and a raffle for the parents. Families can even receive groceries donated by the Tarrant Area Food Bank. This event is FREE and applicable to everyone with kiddos.

The Kids in the Kitchen Health Fair will be held Saturday, May 20, 10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. at Billingsley Field House. Everyone is welcome to bring their children and learn the importance of health and wellness.

Donate. It takes money, y’all, to support and grow this initiative. By making a monetary donation you can help keep this program alive and thriving to keep our community’s children as healthy as they can be. 

jlfwThe Junior League of Fort Worth is an organization of women committed to promoting voluntarism, developing the potential of women, and improving communities through the effective action and leadership of trained volunteers. Its purpose is exclusively educational and charitable.

The Junior League of Fort Worth is part of the Fort Worth Mom Blogs’ “FWMB Gives Back” series. If you are interested in nominating a local non-profit, please email [email protected].

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