Waite House Receives SEED Money from Seward Co-op

The movement to change the way Americans eat is many decades old in Minneapolis, and Pillsbury United Communities’ Waite House is one of the oldest forces of them all. For nearly fifty years, Waite House has been targeting “both the immediate needs and the root causes of inequalities in health and nutrition” in the Phillips Neighborhood and beyond. Its innovative approaches are truly inspiring.

Last week, during a small get together in our dining area, Seward Co-op proudly delivered a check to Waite House for $18,497.68, the sum of November’s SEED money (the at-the-register donations from Seward shoppers and owners). In the photo above are representatives from Waite House and Seward Co-op’s cashier staff and front end.

Waite House’s Health & Nutrition programs are varied and ambitious, but they’re all aimed at providing solid opportunities and access to food for families in the Phillips Neighborhood who might not otherwise receive them. Programs include:

Food Pantry
Community Café
Southside Kitchen
Culinary Arts Training
Produce Giveaway
Phillips Community Healthy Living (including an onsite garden!)
Commodity Supplemental Food Program
Health and Wellness
Fare for All
Let’s Move

Waite House sent Seward Co-op the note below, describing how some of Seward Co-op’s SEED money would be utilized.

“Thank you to everyone at Seward! The money raised will not only fund an entire school year of youth meals (60-80 per night), but provide us with the ability to ensure that those meals meet the USDA recommended health and nutrition guidelines for youth – as well as continue our standard of kid-friendly, made from scratch meals.”

One of the exciting elements of Waite House’s Health and Nutrition program is that Chef Austin Bartold (pictured, third from the right) leads the Culinary Arts Training at Waite House. This is “a 10-week culinary arts training and kitchen apprenticeship program for young adults ages 16-21 who encounter unjust barriers to employment, such as poverty and education. Youth learn technical kitchen operating and management skills to achieve ‘ServSafe’ credentials while preparing healthy meals during the Community Café for adults and youth in their community who lack access to nutritious food.”

It’s one thing to talk about narrowing the gap between rich and poor and to promote food justice across Minneapolis. Seward shoppers and owners actually do it by funding operations like Waite House through SEED donations.

* On the History of Pillsbury United Communities.

* More on Austin Bartold. “Native Chefs Offer Good taste and Health with a Cultural Flair” (pdf)