Nourish & Move!
Food • Farming • Fitness
Cradlerock Children's Center | Health & Nutrition Initiative
Food
Through our partnership with DinnerFix and our amazing Executive Chef Ari, we provide Breakfast, Lunch, and a Snack to 87 children on a weekly basis. DinnerFix is a minority-owned culinary management company with a combined 40 years of experience. Meals are prepared according to seasonal and market availability of ingredients while accounting for the changes in eating habits as children progress through the year.
DinnerFix's partnership with local farms for produce, meat, and dairy products allows us to emphasize the importance of knowing where your food comes from. As part of the program, they provide CCC with videos of planting, harvesting, and other procedures on the farm prior to delivery for the children to watch and learn from.
Farming
Built in 2022, the cornerstone of our Nourish & Move program begins with our vegetable garden. Nestled in the Owen Brown community of Cradlerock, our garden allows us to not only educate our children on the importance of nutrition, it gives them an invaluable life skill. This project is all made possible through the UUCC, The Community Ecology Institute at Freetown Farm, and Upcycled.
Our 4 & 5-year-old children assist in the garden by planting, caring for, and harvesting the vegetables under the tutelage of a UUCC gardening volunteer and their classroom teacher. This activity correlates very well with many of the themes the children learn about in class, including healthy habits, while helping to answer the question, ‘Where does real food come from’?
Fitness
Our Fitness Program is designed by instructor Mrs. Sherry Gaba encourages children to move with purpose while creating a fun experience. During their allotted session, children are led through various gross motor exercises, basic yoga, and cooperative games.
The goal of the fitness program is similar to the importance of children engaging in play at our Center. The program supports the development of patience, listening skills, turn-taking, teamwork, and having fun while unknowingly exercising.