DETROIT (WXYZ) — On Wednesday, Authority Health celebrated the grand opening of its community kitchen.
The organization unveiled the Ruby Cole Community Kitchen. The new space is built inside the Popoff Family Health Center on Mack Avenue.
“Probably every culture, every community gathers around the kitchen,” Loretta Bush, the CEO of Authority Health, told 7 Action News.
She said the unveiling is two years in the making and was made possible through a $450,000 grant from the Priority Health Total Health Care Foundation.
“So about two years ago, we really wanted to combine our understanding of chronic disease and what contributes to chronic disease and what can help patients in the community either avoid chronic disease or help them to manage it," Bush explained.
She said what better way to manage health conditions than through nutrition. So, who will make use of this kitchen?
Bush said community groups and health and human service organizations can use the space to provide programs like cooking classes and nutrition education.
Chef Ederique Goudia, also known as Chef E, cooked the first honorary meal.
She told 7 Action News, “The space just really allows for the community to just really get more educated or more knowledge around how they can prepare more nutritious meals. I think it’ll also allow for introducing more — whether it’s different dishes or even different ingredients — to the community, so that they can expand their palate as well.”
In addition to teaching health and nutrition, Chef E said the space also creates an opportunity to teach budgeting as well as making use of ingredients you already have in your refrigerator to prevent food waste.
