Grandma Shirley's Cooking Camp
A one-week intergenerational skill-building summer program for youth (ages 9-12) who are partnered with an older adult senior (ages 60+) and a junior counselor. This camp will be located in the Braddock community to develop community continuity, address neighborhood issues, and bridge the generational gap. GIFT collects local talent who will teach young and young at heart (Ex: Culinary school, Gardening, Arts & Media, Nutrition, etc.).
Grandma Shirley's Summer Program honors the relationship GIFT's founder, Rochel Tombosky, had with her grandmother, who passed away in early 2022. Grandma Shirley grew up in the 1920s in the lower east side of New York and the Bronx and understood that what you eat and how you eat directly affects your health, but many people do not have the opportunity or resources to nourish strength and health. Grandma Shirley's camp program will honor her legacy with a focus on providing our youth in an area of inequity with the tools, education, and skills to eat healthily.
Braddock is a historically low-income neighborhood and a "food desert". Children in food desert neighborhoods are unlikely to access fresh food or develop comfort and familiarity with preparing and eating nutritional meals. Making fun meals together also serves as a framework for building lasting connections with older adults in the community who can offer skills, knowledge, and mentorship to youth.
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