Helping kids eat healthy More than 500 low-income kids learned about healthy eating this summer at nutrition fairs presented by The Greater Boston Food Bank (GBFB) at Boys & Girls Clubs in Boston, Brockton and Fall River. At the one-day events, GBFB staff and trained volunteers taught kids about the different food groups, what goes into a healthy meal and the importance of hydration and exercise. “It definitely helps our kids be more conscious about food and feeling good about themselves,” said Rick Aggeler, director of operations at the Boys & Girls Club of Boston, which serves neighborhoods with pronounced need in both Boston and Chelsea. One in eight children in Eastern Massachusetts is food insecure, and one out of every three people GBFB serves is a child under the age of 18. “We try to get kids thinking about the foods they eat and how to incorporate them into a healthy meal,” said Rachel Caty, MPH, RDN, GBFB nutrition manager and one of GBFB’s two regis- tered dietitians. Your donation supports GBFB’s nutrition fairs and its School- based Pantry program that provide healthy foods to children and families during the school year. Click 'N Cook Fall Select All year round, The Greater Boston Food Bank (GBFB) distributes to its 530 member agencies and through its programs, such as its Mobile Markets and Brown Bags for seniors, ingredients for countless healthy meals. As we head into the fall, here’s a versatile, hearty recipe you can find, along with many others, on ClickNCook. org, GBFB’s online recipe resource for healthy, affordable meals using everyday ingredients. Barley Pilaf Ingredients 1 tablespoon vegetable oil 1 cup onion, chopped 1/2 cup celery, chopped 1/2 cup bell pepper, chopped 1 cup mushrooms, sliced 1 cup barley, uncooked 2 1/2 cups water 1 cube bouillon (chicken, beef, or vegetable) Directions 1. Place a medium pan over medium heat; add vegetable oil, onion and celery. Cook, stirring often until onion is soft. 2. Add bell pepper (if using), mushrooms and barley. Stir well. 3. Add water and bouillon and stir to dissolve bouillon. Bring to a boil, lower heat and cover pan. 4. Cook for 45 minutes or until barley is tender and liquid is absorbed. Recipe Tips This can be used as a side dish or a stuffing for pork chops or chicken. Or add 2 cups of any chopped cooked meat during the last fifteen minutes of cooking and serve as a main dish. For more about this recipe and others, visit: clickncook.org/recipe/barley-pilaf 5 Photos in this article from GBFB’s Nutrition Fair at the Boys & Girls Club in Dorchester. Volunteering at GBFB Feeds the Soul “I really feel like I’m making a difference.” Cooley LLP Leads Legal Food Frenzy! Kathi Maio volunteers most Tuesdays assisting GBFB Production Spe- cialist Kelly Sajous who oversees the sorting of donated foods, a process entirely performed by volunteers. Kathi Maio loves helping people. She loves it so much that nearly every Tuesday for the past four years she’s taken an hour-long train ride from her home in Malden to volunteer at The Greater Boston Food Bank (GBFB) Yawkey Distri- bution Center. “I really feel like I’m making a difference for people,” Kathi said. “I’m giving back. You’re trying to feed your soul doing this work.” Kathi, 66, retired in 2013 after 29 years as a reference librarian at Suffolk University. She had two goals for retire- ment: to get fit and to become engaged in activities that bring her joy and benefit others. At GBFB, Kathi works close- ly with GBFB Production Specialist Kelly Sajous, and often helps guide volunteer groups in how to sort and package donated food, an assignment she describes as a “workout.” Last year, 23,500 volunteers donated 58,750 hours at GBFB and sorted 5.7 million pounds of food, the equiv- alent of 4.9 million healthy meals. “I love the food bank,” she said. “It’s a lot of fun… [and] a great place to volunteer.” The Cooley LLP law firm pulls out all the stops when it comes to The Greater Boston Food Bank (GBFB)’s annual Legal Food Frenzy fundrais- ing competition. The firm has won an unprecedented three years in a row. This year, Cooley took home the crown by raising more than $33,000 for GBFB, enough money to provide the equivalent of nearly 100,000 healthy meals to families in need across Eastern Massa- chusetts. “The people here really feel passionate about Legal Food Frenzy,” said Lyle Wood- worth, office administrator for Cooley. “It is far and away the biggest fundraising event we participate in.” Boston-area law firms compete in Legal Food Frenzy over a 10- day period every March. Twenty law firms participated in 2017, the eighth year of the event. “Cooley employees’ competitive spirt and compassion have been an unbeatable combination for the last three years and have translated into generous sup- port for those we serve and for which we are deeply grateful,” said Catherine D’Amato, GBFB president and CEO. Since 2010, Cooley has donated over $121,000 to GBFB. Heidi Erlacher, Partner In Charge of Boston's Cooley LLP firm (left), receives Legal Food Frenzy trophy from GBFB Corporate Relations Manager Melanie Gordon (right). Cooley raised enough funds to provide nearly 100,000 healthy meals. GBFB.org/get-involved LEARN MORE AT Everyone has a role in ending hunger in our community.® 4