When schools and businesses in Princeton and surrounding communities started closing their doors earlier this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Marion Reinson, executive director of The Suppers Programs, began looking for ways the organization could better support the community during this unprecedented time.
“As an organization that is focused primarily on educating people on ways to cook and eat whole food to support their health and help prevent disease, we saw an urgent, unfulfilled need in our community that was directly aligned with our mission and vision,” Reinson said in a statement prepared by Mueller Communications.
Beginning in March, the organization’s board decided that a percentage of all donations made in support of its virtual programming and webinars would be shared 50/50 with the Princeton Area Community Foundation’s (PACF) COVID Relief & Recovery Fund. This special fund was created to provide support to community organizations actively engaged in addressing critical issues like food and housing insecurity, reduced and lost income, child care and behavioral and mental health needs, according to the statement.
“We know that we can help people improve their health if they have access to a few basics: access to healthy, whole food ingredients and a place to cook and have a seat at a table. We felt the need to support people in this way,” Reinson said in the statement.
In total, Suppers was able to provide more than $1,200 dollars to PACF’s COVID-19 Relief & Recovery Fund.
“We appreciate the importance of supporting each other during this unprecedented time,” Fiona Capstick, Suppers board president, said in the statement. “Sharing our organization’s fundraising with the COVID-19 Relief Fund is aligned with our values as an organization, as we feel it helps those among us who have been disproportionately affected by the pandemic. A heartfelt thank you to our Suppers community for taking part in this meaningful contribution.”
For more information about PACF’s COVID-19 Relief & Recovery Fund, visit https://pacf.org/the-princeton-area-community-foundation-covid-19-relief-recovery-fund/
The Suppers Programs is a nonprofit 501c3 organization, based in Princeton, that provides a supportive learning environment where people can discover a way of cooking and eating that improves and sustains optimal health. Through in-person and virtual programming, Suppers connects an ecosystem of medical and healthcare practitioners, community partners, chefs, and farmers with people seeking resources and support for a healthy lifestyle. For more information including upcoming events, resources, white papers and a recipe index, visit www.thesuppersprograms.org.