ABOUT OUR LEAGUE
KIDS IN THE KITCHEN KEEP COOKING DURING COVID-19
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he Junior Leagues’ Kids in the Kitchen (KITK) annual kids’ health and nutrition fair is a beloved staple of the Junior League of Washington (JLW) calendar, and has been well attended by JLW members with their children, community partners, and DC-area families year after year. The KITK Committee typically partners with the YMCA to produce this popular and celebrated spring event that aims to educate children ages three to 13 about the benefits of nutrition and fitness. On the big event day, which is typically held at the Anthony Bowen Branch YMCA, attendees would usually enjoy age-appropriate creative and physical activities, as well as cooking demonstrations, and receive gift bags filled with goodies from sponsors and expertly put together by committee members. Some of the past activities included encouraging children to drink more water by dressing it up with fruit, and mixing up personalized healthy trail mix. Past donations for the event included the Colgate toothpaste company van providing free dental check-ups for participating children, food from &pizza, and snacks and produce from Giant supermarket. KITK Committee Chair Theresa Abellon Bauman notes that committee members look forward to seeing the familiar faces of regular attendees at the spring events, such as one mother of three children who had thanked her at the last event and said she makes a point to attend every year. In addition to the annual spring event, the committee’s regular mini events provide JLW members with opportunities to
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Spring 2021
Julia Rosenthal
fulfill that same mission of youth-oriented wellness education on a smaller scale, while collaborating with JLW community partners. All members of the KITK Committee are expected to participate in two mini events each year. Shelley Keller, Secretary of the KITK Committee, explains what inspires her commitment to KITK as follows, “Healthy eating and nutrition are very important to me and I believe it is KITK Committee Members create stimulating activities to a learned behavior. engage participants. Showing children how to choose healthy food choices is as important months of virtual professional and personas foundational literacy and math skills. al interaction experience. As a Pre-K teacher I see firsthand the The challenges of the virtual format are significant impact a healthy diet can have many, but committee members, like the rest on a child’s growth and development both of us, are learning to adapt. According to mentally and physically.” KITK Committee member, Rashee Raj, “I have a kindergartener at home doing virtual PIVOT TO VIRTUAL ‘school.’ I feel like that helps me understand In the spring of 2020, the growing the limitations of virtual events for young COVID-19 crisis forced the committee, people.” Keller explains that the KITK like most people and entities around the Committee had “several large and small world, to halt all in-person events and group discussions about how we can trancompletely rethink how they operate. The sition in-person events to a virtual setting. fully planned KITK 2020 spring event It’s been really rewarding to see how other was cancelled. When the 2020-2021 members are sharing their ideas as well as League year started, KITK Commitexpertise in technology that they graciously tee members were ready to face a new offer to support.” Since holding its first world with ideas learned and tested from virtual meeting in October 2020, the KITK
