Children taking part in the Tomah Boys & Girls Club summer program in June will learn valuable nutrition skills and eat healthy snacks thanks to support from the Tomah Health Community Foundation April 23.
The foundation presented a $1,200 donation to the Boys and Girls Club of West Central Wisconsin to fund the Tomah Club’s summer Healthy Snack program that will teach youth the basics of snack preparation while focusing on the importance of food quality and nutrition.
“Part of what we do every day here at the club is feed our kiddos, so over the summer, we’re looking to actually get our kiddos involved in the planning and preparation of our snacks,” said Kyle Crosby, executive director of the Boys and Girls Clubs of West Central Wisconsin.
Crosby said they anticipate serving over 75 snacks every day over the course of the 10-week summer program with 85-100 members being able to participate in the prep class during that same period at the Tomah Club at 105 W. Milwaukee St. in downtown Tomah. “We’ve done healthy habits and cooking classes before, but never more of a meal snack prep style of things, so we’re really looking to combine both the nutritional aspect and education, but also how to actually prepare it.”
Tomah Health Community Foundation president Brian Eirschele said the donation supports the mission of the organization to support health and wellness initiatives for organizations in Monroe County. “This one is perfect for the foundation because they’re going to be teaching the kids good nutrition through eating healthy fruits, vegetables and then they’re going to have the kids participate in helping make that food. So, it’s a great concept,” added Eirschele.
Crosby said the foundation’s support is vital to the program. “Community partners like Tomah Health Community Foundation are vital for the organization. We are a donation-based nonprofit. We write some grants, but its primarily donation based through foundations and individuals and without that we simply couldn’t do what we do.”
He said the snack program will also help the organization combat issues with hunger. “For a long time, we’ve recognized that all of our communities we serve are considered food deserts to some capacity and just the access to food, so we’ve made it a priority at our organization for probably the last five or six years. It’s a huge component to our club and our organization.”
The Boys and Girls Club of West Central Wisconsin includes clubs in Tomah, Baraboo, Reedsburg and Portage.
To Learn More About the Boys and Girls Club of West Central Wisconsin, CLICK HERE