Success Stories

 Paula,


Two recent thank you notes, the first from James Moss Elementary in Granite School District. This is a low income area, and the school looks like a “Mini United Nations”. There are over 30 children in each of these classes! These teachers do a terrific job, in fact they sang a “yodeling” song for me at the end of the presentation. (I return each year and do classes in first, third, and sixth grades.)


Each year I do presentations at Nibley Park Kindergarten and first grade (Salt Lake City School District). This was written by the student teacher’s in each classroom. 


W. Lingo




Dear Mrs. Lingo,
Thank you for coming in and presenting nutrition to our first grade classes. We appreciated it.
 
Ms.Wilkins
Miss Boulton
Mrs. Farmsworth
 

Wanda,
Thank you so much for taking your time to talk to our first graders. We all appreciate your wonderful lesson on the Food Pyramid. We will remember you for next year.
 
Thanks!
Nibley Park Elementary First Grade


 
Paula,

This is my Christmas card from Sunrise Metro Housing. Attendance is still very erratic, but improving.

W. Lingo

 

Thank you for assisting the people with learning how to cook great meals easily and inexpensive meals/dishes. God bless you for time.
 
An extra special thank you for everything! Your thoughtfulness is warmly appreciated.
 
Randy, Darrel, Stephen, Donald Allen, Lynda Brown- God Bless, 
Rick- Thanks, Allen Kirkbride- Thank you so much, 
Alex Adams, Toby, Robi, Richard, Jeffrey Seela, 
Nathan- Good food, Gail, Mike, Tim Lamb, Daniel

 

Utah’s Sunrise residents see bright new day
Nearly a year after complex opened, more similar projects are set to open
By Julia Lyon
Salt Lake Tribune

If success is measured by people trading the freedom and misery of the streets for living in one place, a groundbreaking housing project for Utah’s homeless may be on its way.

Nearly a year after the opening of Sunrise Metro, an apartment complex near downtown Salt Lake City, 86 of its 100 original residents remain. Having a home may not have solved all their problems, but a transformation has begun. 

After decades of homelessness, one man has accepted that living inside isn’t “weak” and learned to cook lasagna in an oven rather than a fish over a fire.  Another has finally begun to use counseling to deal with things he did in Vietnam “that no person should ever do to another.”

And a third resident is no longer going blind, thanks to Sunrise helping him learn about cataract surgery options.

“He couldn’t see his face to shave,” remembered lead case manager Jenny White.

Part of a national movement known as “housing first,” the aim of Sunrise is to provide a home, first, and then help a person deal with addiction, unemployment and other issues. Embracing that philosophy, Utah is in the midst of a major housing expansion for the homeless.  

The $9 million Grace Mary Manor, a Salt Lake County housing authority project for 84 homeless men and women, opens today. A 201-unit building for homeless families and single men and women is expected to open in early 2009 at a former Salt Lake City Holiday Inn. Advocates believe the projects will significantly reduce the number of “chronically” homeless Utahns, now estimated at 2,000, one step in the state’s ambitious 10-year plan to eliminate homelessness.

 
Paula,

 

 

As I was coming out of class at Sunrise/Metro Housing, I spotted this sign on the door. The staff has been very supportive of our program; in fact someone from Sunrise/Metro calls me to find out how classes are going (almost weekly).

 

 

I am about to graduate two men that have had continuous attendance. They are now smarter shoppers and more resourceful with their cooking skills.  (See menu planning work of one graduate.)

 

 

W. Lingo

 

Planning A Menu
Foods on hand that need to be used
spices
eggs
old bread/soups
rice
veggies
Items on sale
Mangers Specials: beef, sausage
Walmart: ice cream
Smith: fruit
Albertsons: veggies
 
Plan a Menu
 
Morning
Afternoon
Evening
Snacks
Day 1
Whole grain toast (1), poached egg (1), one slice cheese, honey/jam, coffee
Fried rice and veggies, egg and chicken
Pizza on flower tortillas w/sausage. Cook on stove top.
Pretzels
 
Day 2
Fried veggies, scrambled eggs, fennel/chives/corn tortillas
Philly cheese steak
Soup, homemade
Golden Puffs
Day 3
Pancakes, honey, syrup, orange
Fried rice/fish, egg
Monti cristo
Apple
Day 4
Golden Puffs w/honey, banana, no milk
Italian beef on hardrolls
Soup, homemade
Orange
Day 5
2 eggs basted, hash browns, toast and coffee
Soup, homemade
Pizza on flour tortilla w/sausage
Banana w/Mayo
Day 6
Sausage, muffin, orange, coffee
Beef tacos on tortillas, salsa
Fried chicken, veggies
Popcorn, pretzels, cream cheese
Day 7
Fried veggies, scrambled eggs, fennel/chives, corn tortillas
Chicken tacos on corn tortillas, salsa
Pancakes, honey, syrup, butter
Golden Puffs

 

 

Since having Darlene come into my home, I have started to enjoy cooking. I love to cook breadsticks, and I’m not scared about using yeast. I am now very conscience about how much I eat and exercise. We checked out MyPyramid.gov and my son realized he needs more exercise, and said he would drink more milk. 
Monica Chistensen 
 
I learned so much. Lisa is an excellent teacher! I appreciate everything she taught. It was so exciting for me to learn new recipes. I feel like I’ve been in a slump lately so it was great to learn new ideas. My family absolutely loves the meatballs! 
Becky Nuttall 
 
I learned that it isn’t as hard as I thought to make food from scratch. It has given me confidence in the kitchen that I didn’t have before-cooking is fun. I enjoy preparing and making meals for my family now. I have learned to make food I’d never thought I could. I love all the recipes I have received and love going through them and coming up with new menus for my family and they are really quite easy to make. Thank you!         
Jen Bowles

Darlene,       
I want to tell you what a wonderful friend you have been to me. I always look forward to your visiting with me. I have learned so much about nutrition and cooking but my favorite part is getting to be around one of the coolest people I’ve ever met. Your smile and laugh brings so much happiness to our house. You’re funny, honest and sweet and I’ve enjoyed every minute that you’ve been here. 
               
It’s gonna be a sad day when I graduate. But you’ve done a great job because I’ve been told by my husband and others that my cooking has improved-it’s all thanks to you! I know you’re not my mom or grandmother but you sure are a wonderful friend! 
 

It’s nice to see a family that took the classes and they are still practicing what we taught them. While I was doing my week-end shopping I heard someone say “Darlene” and I turned around to see who it was. We had some small talk about our families and jobs etc. As I was leaving she turned to me and said, “Oh yeah, I’m still using the shopping list.”
 
 
Staff had a phone call from a previous homemaker.  She was so excited and said, “Hi Darlene, this is Toa.  I was at the Food Bank and the news people were there and they asked me if I would mind being interviewed."  She was embarrassed because of where she was (the food bank).  Finally she said "okay" to the interview.  Well the first question she was asked was how did she feel about going to the Food Bank?  She replied, "Very humbling."  Next question was how did she stretch her food dollars?  She said "I learned how to make bigger batches of food for some to freeze for later use.  I took a class offered threw WIC which helped me stretch my dollar further."    

 
Just wanted to say thank you for our time together. You have the most incredible gift to make a person feel special. You have blessed my life in our short amount of time together. I am a confident homemaker now. I can prepare a nutritious meal that my family will eat and enjoy. I now understand how important it is to have lots of color and what a portion is. My husband really doesn’t enjoy vegetables. So I did what you suggested, have him involved in planning the meal. When I explained the importance of vegetables the fact that they prevent certain kinds of cancers he’s trying different ones now with out much fussing. 
 
Shelly Roberts 
 

What we eat is so important to having a healthy lifestyle.  How we prepare our food is huge to our health. 
Thank You, Thank you for the classes.