Celebrating 10 years and 250,000 meals delivered: How local teens are making a difference in the Healing Meals kitchen.

By Melissa Cole 

Three days a week after school, teens from West Hartford and surrounding Farmington Valley communities gather in Avon to prepare healthy meals for families facing a health crisis. The program is called the Healing Meals Community Project, and it is not only celebrating 10 years, but also the milestone of delivering its 250,000th meal!

West Hartford’s own Ayelet Connell, who has been part of the nonprofit for the past six years, says the mission is twofold: using food as medicine while empowering youth.

“One part of our mission is that we provide essentially medical supportive meals – really nutrient dense, organic, healthy meals for people in a health crisis.” Connell explained. “It could be someone that has a physical health crisis, or a mental health crisis.”

Because when you’re facing a critical health challenge, finding time and energy to make any kind of meal is overwhelming, let alone meals that will nourish a compromised immune system. The food prepared in the Healing Meals kitchen is organic, gluten- and dairy-free, and free from refined sugars and additives. Just pure, wholesome nutrition for the body. 

“It’s about trying to provide food that really is going to support the immune system, digestive health and overall regenerative activity in the body. We’re really fortunate to have a relationship with a lot of local farms that grow regeneratively organically, and they provide us with a lot of produce.” Connell said.

The other part of the mission focuses on working with youth, creating a space for empowerment and purposeful activity. West Hartford’s Sophie Lessard, a freshman at Hall High School, and Jack Jones, a freshman at Watkinson School, volunteer on Wednesday afternoons. During their three-hour shift, teens work alongside adult mentors to cook and package meals. For many, it’s their first time in a kitchen preparing anything.

“Maybe you know what you’re doing, maybe you don’t. But that’s okay, because people are there to help you,” Jack said.

They’re also being introduced to foods they may not have tried before or thought they didn’t like. Sophie said, “I’ve tried new combinations of flavors like stuff I wouldn’t normally make at home.” Her favorite is the Power Salad made with sweet potato, cilantro and quinoa. She also loves the Pad Thai dish. “I’ve also learned that substituting coconut milk for other dairy is actually better. That’s a cool, fun fact.” 

They both agree the energy bites are a fan favorite. Made with oats, sunflower seed butter, flax seeds, and mini chocolate chips, they’re a popular treat among the volunteers, and sometimes even volunteer’s family members.

“My parents always make me bring some back for them because they love them so much,” Sophie said. 

Jack added, “Yeah,  it’s always fun to sample the food.”

Gene Evans, also from West Hartford, is one of the adult mentors. She has been volunteering for about six years and says it’s a highlight of her week. She started out as a “Delivery Angel,” driving around the area and delivering meals to those in need. Now she works alongside the youth in the kitchen.

“I love the mission, I love the high school students, and I’ve seen the impact that nutritional food made with love can have on recovery,” Evans said.

Not only do the volunteers prepare and package the meals, they also include handwritten notes of encouragement in each delivery. Simple, heartfelt messages meant to uplift someone going through a difficult time. In return, many clients send back messages of thanks and gratitude, which Healing Meals proudly displays in their kitchen.

But spreading the word about this organization is key. Though they serve many families in the Greater Hartford area, there are still plenty of people who haven’t heard of Healing Meals yet. If you know someone who could benefit from these meals, make the connection.

The Healing Meals website explains how pricing works. And though many people receive the meals at a minimal cost, you don’t have to be food insecure to participate.  

“Healing Meals Community Project offers these nutritious meals at a sliding scale price, which is lower than the cost of prepared meals available elsewhere. We use income-based guidelines to determine the cost, and for some clients, meals are provided at no cost. To ensure our service is easily accessible, our Volunteer Delivery Angels bring meals directly to our clients’ doors each week, offering both nourishment and support during challenging times,” states the website.

As this nonprofit continues to grow and hopes to deliver even more milestone meals to those going through a health setback, Connell says community support is essential.

“To grow more, we really need more sustainable funding-through grants, donations, or foundations-to help us go even further,” she said. 

As for Sophie, she looks forward to her weekly shifts. “I think it’s definitely a great community with a lot of cool people. Not only do I like the work and the volunteering, because I learn a lot about cooking and nutrition, but everyone is really nice and I’ve made a lot of friends. It’s just a nice place to be.” 

Jack feels the same way. “You can go home and feel good about yourself. You haven’t just been sitting around. You’re actually given back to the community and it’s fulfilling”

Healing Meals is located on Nod Road in Avon. They are looking for more Delivery Angel volunteers, with shifts available on Thursday afternoons and Friday mornings. Teen volunteers are always welcome too. Head to their website for more information and links to sign up. 

Like what you see here? Click here to subscribe to We-Ha’s newsletter so you’ll always be in the know about what’s happening in West Hartford! Click the blue button below to become a supporter of We-Ha.com and our efforts to continue producing quality journalism.