Thanksgiving and the Role Food Plays in Central Florida Gatherings
It's Thanksgiving week, so you may be scouring through family recipes, finalizing a holiday potluck menu, or searching for restaurants open on Thursday. Whatever your plans are, specific dishes probably come to mind if someone asks you to describe a traditional Thanksgiving meal. UCF Cultural Anthropologist, Professor Ty Matejowsky specializes in food studies. He joins Engage to shed some light on why we eat the cuisine we do on Thanksgiving day.
Some of you may be dreading the thought of sitting face to face with family or acquaintances who have opposing political views this year. We asked Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist Cherlette McCullough, about coming together for Thanksgiving after a divisive election season. She joins Engage to discuss some quick tips for healthy holiday boundaries.
When you think about Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida, you may think about their meal distribution. The nonprofit also has a Culinary Training Program that addresses some of the root causes of hunger. It’s a 16-week workforce program for adults living in Central Florida to gain the technical and life skills needed with the goal of achieving full-time employment in hospitality. The program is celebrating a milestone, recently graduating its 500th student. Recruiting is happening now for the next class. Keonna Yearwood-Branch, the Culinary Training Program Manager at Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida, joins Engage. Angeline Cruz, a graduate of the program, also joins Engage to discuss why she invested in the training as a means of obtaining long-term security for her family.
In Central Florida, a Rollins College student is behind an intentional effort to build bridges in this community while breaking bread. Joseph Pool is in his third year and studying public policy and economics. During his studies, he took a course in food and religion. Along with the professor, Pool explored research on the role of food in dialogues and transcending cultural differences. Then he created a student organization at Rollins called Breaking Bread. The growing club gives everyone a seat at the table to meet and share a meal. Joseph Pool joins Engage to discuss how it is building connections and overcoming conflicts.
