Making a difference for our neighbors is what Inter-Faith Food Shuttle is all about. Forming partnerships with local organizations strengthens that ability to have a real impact and advances the cause of long-term transformation throughout the community with greater and more far-reaching results. When the opportunity to team up with CORRAL Riding Academy arose, the Food Shuttle saddled up and the partnership has been riding high ever since.
The majority of girls who are served by CORRAL Riding Academy have faced trauma of some kind and have the odds stacked against them. But through a holistic program of equine therapy and education, these young women are provided a leg up to brighter futures of lasting, transformational change. It is that long-term impact that syncs up so naturally with the mission of Inter-Faith Food Shuttle. Our programs that feed, teach, grow, and cultivate hunger solutions do so with long-term, sustainable impact as the goal.
CORRAL offers intervention through family support, life skills training, college and career preparation, academic tutoring, equine-assisted psychotherapy, vocational training, and mentorship. These skills are incorporated through all-day weekend and after-school programming. The Food Shuttle supplies nutritious casserole meals prepared by our culinary staff for the girls during the weekday and weekend training sessions. These healthy meals help to keep the students motivated, and the link between nutritious food and physical and mental wellbeing is undeniable. “Inter-Faith Food Shuttle’s partnership is really important to us”, Heather Brewer, CORRAL’s Program Director said about the partnership. “Some of our girls don’t eat lunch at their school because it’s not as filling, so coming here and getting a warm meal is really nice.”
The Food Shuttle Agricultural Programs have been working hand-in-hand with the CORRAL Garden Coordinator to enhance their gardening efforts. In addition to attending our Seed Starting workshop and our upcoming “Seed to Supper” course, the Coordinator has been working with the Food Shuttle Farm Volunteer Coordination staff to develop best practices for Agricultural Volunteer management for their program. The Food Shuttle has provided multi-generational curricula and resources to support CORRAL’s Agriculture Education program, along with a wide assortment of spring transplants for their garden.
In addition, on April 23, the Food Shuttle Community Health Education program will host a “Diversity and Inclusion in Food” workshop for CORRAL participants. The two-hour session will dive into different recipe demonstrations, sample different meals, and discuss the health benefits of various cultural foods. There will be a special focus on the overlooked aspects of foods imported from abroad since they tend to be more expensive and not as accessible as foods that are grown locally. The program will afford exposure to different societies, as well as self-sufficiency through culinary education.
Other opportunities for the Food Shuttle and CORRAL to work together are in the planning phase, and excitement grows as the connection between the two organizations is strengthened. Jennifer Brown, CORRAL’s Community Relations Manager, stated, "Working with Inter-Faith has been one of the most rewarding partnerships that I have established in my career at CORRAL. Their staff is bright, warm, and friendly. It has truly been a joy!” The feeling is definitely mutual.
All photos courtesy of CORRAL Riding Academy.