Nutrition Basics Classes Launched at Boca Helping Hands

Dr. Sarah Lochner (BHH Volunteer), Patrick Mahaney, RD, LDN (Boca Raton Regional Hospital) and Lorena Tejada (BHH Volunteer).

With health and wellness a key piece of our mission, Boca Helping Hands has launched a series of Nutrition Basics Classes. Program Director Trina Chin Cheong and volunteer Dr. Sarah Lochner worked directly with Boca Raton Regional Hospital to designed and produce a curriculum specifically for our clients. Taking place the 4th Friday of each month, these classes cover a variety of topics including portion control, reading nutrition labels and healthy eating on a budget.

The 1st class of the 6-part series was recently held and instructor Patrick Mahaney, RD, LDN of the Boca Raton Regional Hospital was thrilled with the turnout, participation and engagement of attendees.

“This was wonderful - It exceeded my expectations! The class participants were attentive, asked insightful questions, so interactive; just a real pleasure to work with,” said Patrick. “I hope that we can continue to have classes like we had today for the rest of the series.”

With a goal of helping students gain as much as they can from the series, volunteer Lorena Tejada was brought in as an English/Spanish translator.

“You can have all the great programs you want but if there’s some type of language or literacy barrier, you’re restricting an entire section of the people who really need the service,” said Lorena. “They want the information but a lot of times the language becomes a barrier.”

Language and literacy, like health and wellness, are also areas where Boca Helping Hands helps to empower clients through our programs and classes.

“People that come to our Nutrition classes will be the same people that will come to ESOL will be the same people that come to Job Training,” said Trina. “Everything that we do kind of weaves through to what our mission is.”

Basic Nutrition Classes are the 4th Friday of each month.