Outreach in Action
‘Meal of the Month’ pilot focuses on healthy eating and cooking skills
by Jo Mayer and Paul Crandall
Good, healthy eating starts in the kitchen, and a “Meal of the Month” pilot program, launched in March by Outreach, is giving participants a chance to eat well while honing their culinary chops.
The program is benefitting from the timely donations of a refrigerator and freezer, as well as funding from the Stockbridge Area Wellness Coalition (the local arm of the 5 Healthy Towns Foundation), the Meijer in Mason, and Tri-County Electric.
To get the pilot program off the ground, Outreach solicited applications from regular pantry shoppers and enrolled the first 30 who applied.
In March, each pilot program participant received a soup pot, basic spices, basic knives, a couple of plastic cutting boards and a vegetable peeler, along with the ingredients for the first recipe—Sweet Potato Chili with Black Beans and Turkey. They also received a short evaluation slip so they could tell us what they thought of the dish.
Participants pick up their “Meal of the Month” supplies when they come to Outreach for their monthly pantry shopping or when they attend our weekly food distribution. At that time, they receive a personalized review of what’s in the bag and tips on making the meal.
Some of the feedback so far: “It was delicious,” … “Too spicy for me,” … and “We loved it! Can’t wait to make it again.”
“It is such fun to help people make and eat healthier food!” said Cindy Ashley, pilot program coordinator. “I really appreciate the opportunity to try this out to see if we can make it a regular part of our services.” She adds, “It is a lot of work organizing, shopping and bagging everything. If we continue the program, I think we’ll need to recruit some additional help!”
The pilot program runs through July 2025.
April’s recipe was “White Bean Soup with Bacon” (shared here). Recipes are posted on the Outreach webpage at stockbridgecommunityoutreach.org/food-program
All photos by Jo Mayer




I am so grateful for outreach. They have helped me so much thru out my entire connection with them. Very thoughtful and caring and always pleasant and people persons.