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Friday, Mar 29, 2024

Pacoima Teenagers Put Burgers on Back Burner

Although organic food is standard fare these days in most hip L.A. restaurants, many teenagers still have diets of burgers, chips and soda – especially in low-income neighborhoods. But the 80 business leaders and community members who attended the April 16 Garden to Table lunch hosted by El Nido Family Centers would swear that’s not true. There, at El Nido’s branch office in Pacoima, a dozen teenagers served up appetizers featuring squash and cherry tomatoes to complement a meal catered by Hugo’s Restaurant, a small Agoura Hills-based chain. All the more interesting, the food was grown and prepared by a group of teenagers who are attending gardening and cooking classes that teach healthy living and good food choices. “We work with a lot of young families and we’re really trying to promote good health, especially during pregnancy and the first years of life,” said Liz Herrera, executive director of El Nido, headquartered in Mission Hills. “Getting families access to good healthy foods on limited income is a challenge.” El Nido serves 11,000 clients annually, with a primary focus of preventing child abuse, teen pregnancy and domestic violence. It also promotes academic success and healthy living. Herrera decided to further El Nido’s health-conscious initiative by offering classes to community teens, who could in turn teach their families how to make healthier lifestyle choices. The initiative stemmed from an ongoing relationship the non-profit had with Emily and Tom Kaplan, founder sof Hugo’s Restaurant. They operate the chain’s three restaurants, in addition to volunteering at El Nido a few days a week. The educational kitchen and organic garden classes started last October when Kaplan, her husband and her son Max – who heads up the classes – began volunteering every Wednesday afternoon for two-hour sessions. “It was so interesting when I started working with the garden in October. The students weren’t comfortable looking me in the eye, and didn’t want to get dirty. Now they are into it and excited,” explained Emily Kaplin. “I get warm welcomes and hugs and they’re so grateful. It’s really awesome.” The students are working out of a small room on foldable tables at the Pacoima offices. But the plan is to convert the room into a 700-square-foot commercial kitchen equipped with a large stove, several counter tops and an exhaust hood. The project is expected to cost $100,000, with El Nido covering the costs through fundraising and grants. In addition, Eddie Navarette of FE Design and Consulting in Los Angeles volunteered time and expertise to design the kitchen and to complete the permit process for construction. “We are hoping to get interest from the business community to do in-kind donations and heavy discounts,” Herrera said. Construction on the kitchen is expected to begin next month so it can be up and running by fall. Herrera also plans to expand the garden, now only two beds, to 27 beds about 15-square-feet each. The big goal? Once the kitchen is operational in the fall, Emily Kaplan said she and the staff at El Nido plan to start a cafe for the community – allowing students to sharpen their job skills and develop a work ethic by operating it. “There is very little in the way of healthy dining in Pacoima, and a lot of the people in the community have shown interest in helping with the garden and having a place where they can go and get healthy food,” she said. Rooftop Fundraiser The 16th annual Taste of the Valley proved to be a success, as more than 1,200 people, the largest turn out ever, flooded the parking lot atop Macy’s at the Westfield Topanga mall. The Valley Cultural Center in Woodland Hills raised more than $40,000 at the wine tasting and food festival, with the money going toward future events such as its annual July 4th Fireworks Extravaganza and a World Music and Cultural Arts festival on June 7. Nearly 90 food and wine vendors were in attendance, including BJ’s, Stonefire Grill, Pomar Junction Vineyard & Winery and Fireman’s Brew. “This was our largest event. It’s become an annual tradition and Westfield has been a partner since the beginning,” said center Executive Director Nora Ross. “We had the new location and our sponsors were amazing contributors in attaining the wines, spirits and microbrews.” Ross said the $40,000 raised exceeded the organizations projections by 20 percent, and she believes the event will do even better next year. “It just keeps on growing,” she said. Staff Reporter Champaign Williams can be reached at (818) 316-3121 or at [email protected].

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