From food carts to farmers’ markets to award-winning restaurants, Portland is a culinary haven. Yet many people in the city struggle to feed themselves and their families due to systemic injustices and inequality. 

 

To dismantle inequality, Feed the Mass (FTM) has partnered with community organizations to offer wellness classes to students during the school year and summer break. FTM also hosts in-person workshops at our on-site location and free digital education on YouTube. Our goal is to empower our students and neighbors to feed and care for themselves by giving them the skills they need to cook simple yet nutritious meals and learn about wellness that can be incorporated in their daily lives.

 

Our education program offers classes in cooking, nutrition, urban agriculture, financial literacy, business basics, fitness, and wellness.  Cooking and nutrition classes build competency in creating dishes that provide a balanced blend of essential nutrients. The culture behind the cuisine is shared to encourage participants to reflect on what food means to others and what food means to themselves. Participants will be encouraged to seek out healthy basic ingredients at their local grocery stores and coached through the process of recognizing and selecting them. Urban agriculture classes build an understanding of where our food comes from and how to access healthier foods.  Financial and business literacy help students learn the basics of budgeting and how to plan and grow their ideas into a more prosperous future.  Fitness and wellness classes provide a holistic approach to overall health.  By approaching education holistically, a comprehensive set of skills are shared with our students and community.

 

In-person Workshops

Feed the Mass offers a hands-on experience for adults and families through our in-person workshops with expert instructors. Each workshop is designed to highlight a topic, skill, or cuisine and teach its significance. 

 

Digital Education

Our program breaks barriers to wellness education by engaging participants through supported, interactive virtual learning experiences. They can participate from their own homes and at their own pace through a series of hands-on, collaborative activities. This programming is based on a flexible, community-based virtual learning environment specifically designed to accommodate the demands of a busy lifestyle and the constraints of a low income budget.

 

Service Learning

The purpose of the Feed the Mass (FTM) Service Learning is to give participants hands-on kitchen experience so that they can better nourish themselves and their community. During this program, participants and organizations will be trained on how to create a service in their community, organization, school, or church that will act as a food hub for those who need access to healthy food and balanced meals. 

 

Youth Summer Program

In 2022, Feed The Mass (FTM) and Building Blocks 2 Success teamed up to deliver our Science of Life Program to students through the Portland Public School Summer Enrichment, Engagement, and Safety Program. This collaboration strengthened students’ real-world knowledge by applying a combination of life skills education and practical real-world STEM-based science lessons.