Meet Our Partner – Jennifer Weissman, Registered Dietitian & DEF Volunteer

Sometimes – even in the midst of a pandemic – all the puzzle pieces come together to create an opportunity in which everyone benefits. In the fall of 2020, registered dietitian and longtime DEF volunteer Jennifer Weissman approached DEF Program and Partnerships Director Marie McCollum about offering a cooking workshop to teens. Jennifer had previously offered cooking classes to several AIM Scholars in previous years. She had just completed training in the Around the Table curriculum, a nutrition program that was developed by Leah’s Pantry, a California-based non-profit whose mission is to improve the health, wellness and resilience of communities through nutrition security. Jennifer wanted to test out the course with actual students; the curriculum is designed for youth aged 14-21. Together with DHA Family Youth Advisor Corey Bivens, Marie found eight willing teens to enroll into the six-week cooking and nutrition class that began in February 2021. The girls who participated in the course all had previous cooking experience, and were interested in learning more.

This all happened when school was all-virtual and in-person activities were not possible. But Jennifer was undeterred. She recruited Atlanta Community Food Bank’s Nutrition and Wellness Manager Joy Goetz to co-facilitate the course. ACFB donated the student workbooks, and DEF supplied grocery cards to the students so they could purchase the ingredients every week. Throughout the six-week course, the group selected recipes from the workbook to cook together via Zoom. So far they’ve made breakfast and dinner entrées, like smoothies, egg burritos, and sesame chicken with rice. 

In non-pandemic times, the group would share in the energy that comes from gathering together and sharing a meal. But Jennifer has found that there are some distinct learning advantages to the virtual format. “In person, everyone has a task, but online everyone is making the entire dish,” she said. “In addition, because each student is cooking in their own kitchens, they have the added experience of budgeting and shopping.” This also allows them to swap out ingredients – selecting broccoli instead of green beans, which not only teaches them essential life skills, but instills confidence to trust their choices. 

Improving their cooking skills, building their confidence and increasing their awareness of the role that food plays in our lives are all goals of the program. For Jennifer, it goes a little further than that.

“Food is an important part of the human experience – it’s an integral part of socializing, expressing our cultures, and nourishing our bodies,” she added. “It’s my hope that they come to understand that food is joyful.”

Jennifer currently has a busy job as the manager of the food pantry at Jewish Family & Career Services in Dunwoody, but we hope she will find time in the future to continue bringing joyful cooking experiences and promoting healthy connections with food to Decatur students. We welcome the opportunity to share her enthusiasm and expertise with our kids. We say it all the time, because it’s true: Together, we make a difference for our students!