MEXICO – It started as the response to an emergency need — families reeling from a round of earthquakes off the Pacific coast were in need of food. Because of our faithful partners, OB Mexico established mobile kitchens to help meet the immediate needs of hurting people. And the mobile food kitchens grew into a nutrition program to help families in Union Hidalgo learn better food practices to ward off health problems like diabetes, hypertension, and obesity.
Now, Operation Blessing sponsors biweekly workshops for women in the community. Each workshop lasts for a total of four weeks and has a class size of up to 10 women. These women learn the value of nutrition and are introduced to foods and recipes to contribute to healthier eating for healthier living.
One workshop focuses entirely on the composition, nutritional value, and importance of salads. Students are challenged to create their best salads as part of a balanced diet. The results are a far cry from the fried food that comprised the majority of the community’s diet before this program started!
Many of the women participating in these workshops run local kitchens, thus transforming the community from the inside out with better cooking and eating practices. These small changes can have a big impact on the health of men, women, and children of Union Hidalgo.
