Chef Offers Cooking Classes For Those In Need

Merissa Taylor-Franklin said that using fresh fruits and vegetables was a new concept, 10TV’s Andrea Cambern reported on Friday.

Taylor-Franklin, a young mother, said that she was learning to cook with fresh foods thanks to chef Shannon Morgan and her classes at the YWCA Family Center.

“I eat a lot of fast food,” Taylor-Franklin said. “I was always going to McDonald’s, but it’s not healthy.”

Morgan said that she started working with the YWCA to teach low-income women and homeless families how to do more with less and eat well at the same time.

“I want to keep them away from the processed foods and do more cooking on their own, utilize fresh fruits and vegetables,” Morgan said.

Morgan said that many inner-city residents have trouble getting to a grocery store, so they shop at convenience stores instead. She said shopping at a supermarket is worth it.

“The prices are higher at convenience stores, and a lot of that food is outdated,” Morgan said.

Morgan said that she hoped the woman in her classes would take the tips home to their families.

“I would consider success when someone leaves this program and says, ‘I do not have to use food pantries, because now I know how to make my food dollars stretch,’” Morgan said.

The cooking classes, sponsored by the Children’s Hunger Alliance, have been offered twice a month since October.

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