Crockpot Class Teaches Participants How to Cook Economically

For six weeks, The Salvation Army’s West End Community Church in Bermuda organized a cooking program to help families cook more efficiently using a crockpot. Participants were provided different recipes and tips to make their cooking experience more economical and enjoyable.

Marjorie Wilson was the lead instructor for the program. Although her love of cooking remains intact, when she worked as a private chef, she wished to serve more people.

Previously, she cooked at The Salvation Army in Hamilton, Bermuda, for about five months. Recently, a new opportunity to get involved with the Army came along.

“The idea for the program came about through Captain Adriane Cartmell,” Marjorie shares. “One day, I told her I used to be a chef. She said that they were doing a cooking program and that they were looking for one. I volunteered because of my love of cooking.”

Food and Faith

From March to May, six participants met every Monday to take part in the crockpot cooking classes. Marjorie would give tips on prepping, food storage and cooking. The classes included a Bible-teaching component as well. Every lesson began with a prayer, and while the food was cooking, they would use that time for devotional talk.

Betty and Shonette were two of the students who took part in the pilot program. Both were eager to improve their cooking skills and enjoyed the spiritual aspect of it.

“From a personal standpoint, I don’t like cooking,” Shonette says. “So, to just be able to throw it in the crockpot and leave it, I said, ‘Oh, that’s great!’ I also think it could be an easier and healthier way of eating instead of just coming home and frying something.”

“I enjoyed the devotional aspect because it was very interactive,” Betty adds. “I enjoyed hearing different opinions and questions about God, Jesus and faith. I found that interesting and non-judgmental.”

Cooking on a Budget

Due to the pilot’s success, the plan is to formally incorporate the crockpot cooking classes as a program in the future. The Salvation Army hopes these lessons can help people struggling with food insecurity.

As a member of the West End Community Church, Shonette believes this program could benefit people accessing the food bank.

“From the church’s standpoint, over the last couple of years, we have seen our food bank grow and grow. So, the idea was to invite the clients to this course so they could learn how to cook simpler and, hopefully, cheaper,” Shonette says.

As the instructor, Marjorie understands she can impact lives by helping students enhance their cooking skills and make it more cost-effective.

“Sometimes people get cans of food, and they don’t know what to do with them,” Marjorie says.  “In the crockpot program, they can ask me questions and I can answer them to the best of my ability so that they can enjoy the food they get from The Salvation Army.”

Additionally, she teaches participants how to use leftovers efficiently to avoid food waste.

“If you have a whole chicken one night, you could add leftover chicken to fried rice or have chicken pot pie the next day,” she says. “It is all about learning what you can do with what you have.”

Certificates of participation were presented to every student who took part in the class.

Looking Ahead

Currently, it is uncertain when the program will start. However, all participants are confident that they will return when it resumes.

With these lessons, The Salvation Army in Bermuda aims to address food insecurity within their community by providing more than just food.

By Juan Romero