The Homeless Coalition has provided services for many families in the community since the pandemic, but something was missing, Life Skills. Many knew how to microwave frozen meals, and open cans straight from the shelf. They did not have the skills to provide a meal for themselves or their family. Our Senior Assistant visited with the clients at the shelter and collected data on the missing pieces of the puzzle. With talking to each of them it was known that with health issues they had, it was evident that lack of adequate nutrition did not help matters. The assistant planned a series of Healthy Choices for Every Body Curriculum lessons to interduce them to basic life skills, cooking and preparing healthier meals on a budget

The group worked together on Meal Planner, Using Leftovers, Using Coupons at the grocery, in store ads and sales. As the weeks went by, they had taken the skills they learned making meals in minutes and applied them to the entire house. Including fresh vegetables, low sodium products, and fresh fruit for every meal. They all had positive outlooks, learning how to cut vegetables, how to properly cook chicken in a skillet, using a meat thermometer, different ways to measure and using substitutes, and great ideas for future meals.