Common Threads
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Mission Statement
Common Threads is a national nonprofit that provides children and families cooking and nutrition education to encourage healthy habits that contribute to wellness. We equip under-resourced communities with information to make affordable, nutritious and appealing food choices wherever they live, work, learn, and play. We know that food is rooted in culture and tradition so we promote diversity in our lessons and recipes, encouraging our participants to celebrate the world around them. Common Threads aspires to build communities that embrace healthy cooking, healthy eating and celebration of culture.
About This Cause
HISTORY Common Threads was founded by Chef Art Smith, artist Jesus Salgueiro and Linda Novick O’Keefe in 2003. After Chef Art and Jesus spent time cooking for New York families impacted by 9/11, they were inspired by the power of food to heal by bringing people together by celebrating traditions and understanding culture while enjoying the benefits of healthy, nutritious meals. Soon, the nonprofit Common Threads was launched, with the first class offered in a church basement in Chicago in March 2004. The organization soon expanded beyond the Windy City to include programming in Los Angeles in 2007. Future expansion included Miami (2009), Washington, D.C. (2009), New York City and Austin (2014), Pittsburgh (2015) and San Antonio, Dallas-Ft. Worth, El Paso and Erie (2018). Today the organization reaches more than 100,000 children, parents and educators through its cooking and nutrition education programs. OUR SOLUTION It’s something many of us enjoy but aren’t always able to do: having the time, basic knowledge, or all the “right things” to cook simple, healthful meals and snacks to enjoy with family. As we eat, we are not only nourished by the food itself, but also by the conversation shared over the table with loved ones. Yet for too many families in America, cooking a healthy meal with fresh ingredients seems too expensive, time-consuming, or simply too overwhelming for a variety of reasons. One of our goals is to take away those notions and provide real solutions. Our suite of in-person and digital programs engage children, parents and educators in how they can prepare and select healthier foods, while also infusing education about the world around us.