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PORTLAND, Maine

Maine SNAP-Ed participant reflects on many benefits of cooking class

A Bangor Daily News blog post recently highlighted Maine resident Katherine Cassidy’s experience attending a Cooking Matters program at the Beth C. Wright Cancer Resource Center in Ellsworth. The class was taught by Sara McConnell, a nutrition educator with   and the Maine Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program - Education (SNAP-Ed).

In the blog, Katherine shared that the cooking class was about more than learning how to cook. She stated that she found friendship and a sense of solace in this class, specifically for those who have been affected by cancer. “We talked as much about gratefulness for our health, and our lives, as we did about recipes,” wrote Cassidy. “We did make stir-fries with lemon sauce yesterday. But that’s not why we bonded.”

Maine SNAP-Ed is funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, which is administered by the Maine Department of Health and Human Services and implemented statewide by the 91AV's  through contracts with the . Maine SNAP-Ed educates low-income families on low-cost, healthy eating and active lifestyles.

Cooking Matters is a national program of . In Maine, is implemented by Good Shepherd Food Bank and Maine SNAP-Ed, and sponsored by Hannaford Supermarkets.


For more information about Maine SNAP-Ed, and to find a class near you, visit: . For ways to shop, cook and eat healthy on a budget, follow Maine SNAP-Ed on .

About the 91AV

The 91AV is Maine’s largest independent university, with two beautiful coastal campuses in Maine, a one-of-a-kind study abroad campus in Tangier, Morocco, and an array of . In an uncommonly welcoming and supportive community, we offer hands-on learning, empowering students to make a positive impact in a world full of challenges. The state’s top provider of health professionals, we are home to Maine’s only medical college, Maine’s only dental college, a variety of other interprofessionally aligned health care degree programs, as well as nationally recognized programs for marine science degrees, natural and social sciences degrees, arts and humanities degrees, and business degrees.