What are the rhythms of your family?
As a child, I woke up in the morning, sat on a stool at the kitchen counter, and ate breakfast. After school I grabbed a snack and watched Saved By the Bell, Full House, and Family Matters, all while my mom cooked dinner. The daily rhythms of my family pulsed to food.
It’s been said by many, “Graffiti 2 is family.” As family, we Eat@335Beekman. Children and teens eat a snack every day after school. Once a week, families and individuals from our community gather around tables in our basement and eat a meal together.
If food is the beat of daily family rhythms, then perhaps the year pulses to the beat of holidays. This is certainly true at Graffiti 2. The Graffiti 2 Family finds meaningful ways to celebrate Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter, and birthdays.
And just like your family, there is certainly a lot of eating involved as we celebrate @335Beekman.
Here’s a week of giving idea: This year, Graffiti 2’s goal was to provide healthier eating options for our children, teens, and families. Food choices are often made out of convenience. In our neighborhood, it is convenient to grab breakfast at the bodega. Bodegas are the gas stations of the city. It is convenient to order Chinese for dinner. With a Chinese takeout restaurant on nearly every block, “Sesame chicken with pork fried rice and an egg roll” is fast and cheap.
It is easy to sacrifice health for convenience. We’ve done it at Graffiti 2 in the past. It is easy to give kids a bag of chips and a cup of Koolaid for snack after school. This year, however, we decided to provide healthier food choices. Some of our new options are carrots with guacamole, broccoli with ranch dressing, bean and cheese tortilla wraps. Of course, occasionally we still serve a bag of chips. Healthier options are often more expensive. Graffiti 2 spends about $15 a day to provide snacks for fifty children and teens in the after school program. Consider making a donation to cover a day ($15), week ($60), or month ($240) of snack.
