Share Our Strength’s Cooking Matters® – The Foundation has been awarded a three year, $100,000 grant to implement Share Our Strength’s Cooking Matters® program. The Foundation is the first organization in Connecticut bestowed such duty.

Share Our Strength’s Cooking Matters® connects families with food by teaching them how to prepare healthy, tasty meals on a limited budget. Professional chefs and nutritionists volunteer their time and expertise to lead hands-on courses that teach adults, teens and kids how to purchase and prepare nutritious foods in healthful, safe and tasty ways. This knowledge can mean the difference between feeding families for just one night, and making sure they have the knowledge, skills and resources to prepare healthy meals for a lifetime.

KHAIR (pronounced care) is a program aimed to boost self-esteem levels in at-risk youth. It is done by pairing a child with a hairstylist or barber. That hairstylist or barber in turn commits to providing monthly appointments for the child for one year. They are also asked to provide product and direction for routine hair maintenance. This is provided at no charge to the child.

The goal of the KHAIR program is to provide teenagers with the dignity and respect they deserve by enhancing their confidence levels. This is done by providing them with a safe and nurturing environment. It is also done by helping them address addressing self image issues. To ensure the maximum benefit, KHAIR kids are matched to a salon or barber shop that best suits their hair-specific needs. These salons and barber shops are selected based on their commitment to community service. They are also chosen based on their willingness to contribute to the well-being of the teens in the program.