Common Threads + Kenmore

According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) one in three American kids and teens is overweight or obese with children living in low-income communities becoming obese at rates higher than the national average. Common Threads, a non-profit organization founded by Chef Art Smith in 2003, is working to reverse this trend. And Kenmore is supplying appliances to help Common Threads educate young people about nutrition and meal preparation.

From the Common Threads website:

Millions of children—especially the 32.4 million growing up in low-income families—are not being taught how to eat or cook healthy. The results have been catastrophic. Today, 16 million children face hunger in the United States and one in three are overweight or obese. Since 1980, obesity rates have tripled among children ages 8 to 12, putting them at risk for asthma, heart disease, diabetes and other chronic health conditions that were once only associated with adults.

To combat this growing trend of childhood obesity, Common Threads delivers culturally-relevant cooking and nutrition curriculum for kids in underserved schools and communities that results in life-long healthy eating habits.

Many public schools are not equipped for this kind of hands on education. And that’s where Kenmore comes in. To assist with Common Threads’s nutritional education, Kenmore donated appliances and kitchenwares to 55 Chicago area schools. This allows kids in these schools to become the chefs and learn not only about cooking but also about nutrition.

While Kenmore donated the appliances, Common Threads can always use a little more help. You can help spread a love of healthy, homemade food by donating directly to Common Threads.