New Dearborn community kitchen opens the way for entrepreneurship and healthy eating classes after Priority Health grant
(Dearborn, Mich. –October 29, 2024) With the help of a grant from the Priority Health Total Health Foundation the nonprofit Leaders Advancing and Helping Communities (LAHC) unveiled its new commercial grade kitchen at its headquarters in Dearborn. As part of the project a new fully stocked food pantry sits adjacent to the kitchen.
The state-of-the-art culinary facility will be used to support the LAHC’s healthy living programs that are offered to the 56,000 people in the Dearborn community who are served annually in an effort to come alongside immigrant populations who encounter generational poverty.
“When we learned about the LAHC’s plans for the kitchen, it was an easy decision,” said Shannon Wilson, executive director of the Priority Health Total Health Foundation. “We wanted to be a part of an effort that aligns with our goals of providing opportunities to those underserved in our communities.”
Several different uses are planned for the kitchen:
• Healthy cooking instruction for multi-generational families
• LAHC’s workforce development program to provide entrepreneurship opportunities
• Teaching kitchen skills to promote independence to the developmentally disabled
• An eventual partnership with community colleges for a culinary degree program
“As we open the doors to the LAHC Community Kitchen, we’re thrilled to offer a space that empowers Wayne County residents to learn, grow, and build healthier lives,” said Wassim Mahfouz, CEO of LAHC. “This kitchen represents our commitment to fostering wellness and economic opportunity through hands-on culinary education and workforce development. We are deeply grateful to the Priority Health Total Health Foundation for their generous grant, which has made this initiative possible. Together, we are building a healthier, more resilient community where everyone has the resources to thrive.”
The Priority Health Total Health Foundation was formed in 2020 as a result of the merger between Total Health Care, the longest serving HMO in Detroit, and Priority Health, Michigan’s fastest growing health plan. The mission of the Priority Health Total Health Foundation is to improve the health and wellbeing of the people of Detroit by investing in organizations dedicated to serving the needs of the community.