Discovering the Power of Nutrition at the Brooklyn Public Library

National Nutrition Month is an annual campaign from the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics that focuses on how food choices can help individuals and communities thrive. This year’s theme centers on building healthy habits on any budget, making sustainable changes, and learning how to access nutritious foods wherever you are, all areas that sit at the core of what we do at God’s Love We Deliver.

The Business Development and Community Partnerships team has built a strong relationship with the Brooklyn Public Library over the years, so National Nutrition Month felt like a natural opportunity to collaborate with two BPL locations and bring nutrition education directly to their communities. Makenna Koger, Supervisor of Health Education, and Andrea De Jesus, Community Outreach Associate, worked with the Community Health team at the Brooklyn Public Library to design sessions covering an overview of God’s Love We Deliver’s life-sustaining services, practical guidance on building balanced meals and budgeting, and a demonstration of how to prepare a nutritious recipe using items commonly found at food pantries.

Our first stop was at the Central Branch, where more than 20 people attended an in-person education session. We covered healthy habits, how to build balanced meals using MyPlate, and where to find local nutrition resources. The group was engaged throughout, sharing favorite foods and cooking tips alongside some thoughtful questions. We wrapped up by tasting the recipe together and talking through ways to adapt it at home based on personal preferences.

Our second stop was the Jamaica Bay Branch, where the nutrition education session was paired with a tabling event and resource fair. This location drew several families and children, and the room had a lot of energy! It was a pleasure to bring accessible nutrition education to so many people during one afternoon, and the conversations that came up about food, health, and everyday life were a good reminder of why this work matters.

We closed each session with a no-cook chickpea and black bean salad made entirely from canned and jarred ingredients: chickpeas, black beans, corn, roasted red peppers, garlic powder, onion powder, oil, and vinegar, with Mrs. Dash seasoning as an optional finishing touch. Canned and shelf stable items are accessible, affordable, and often available at food pantries, and a no cook format removes barriers around time, equipment, and kitchen access.

The salad was well loved at both locations, with many participants saying it was their favorite chickpea recipe they had tried recently. Two sisters, our youngest being just 7 years old, photographed the recipe card to bring home and make with their mom.

National Nutrition Month is one of many opportunities we look forward to each year to deepen those community connections. We are grateful to the Brooklyn Public Library and to every participant who showed up this March!