JF&CS News Fall 2013
Reva Haselkorn has been named the 2013 recipient of the Simone Lottor Exceptional Service Award for her work with JF&CS Nutrition Services. A trained chef, Reva is passionate about food and helping people in need. Last year, after learning how JF&CS is meeting families' needs for healthy and affordable meals, Reva began volunteering with the agency's Nutrition Services program.
"Food is a powerful way to bring people together, to carry our histories and our culture. Food is about family and education," said Reva. "I wanted to use food as a medium to effect some kind of positive change."
JF&CS Nutrition Services empowers people to improve their health by learning how to shop for and prepare healthy and affordable meals. Each year we reach more than 4,000 people at agency headquarters, community sites, supermarkets, and client homes through dozens of workshops, recipe distribution, cooking demonstrations, individual counseling, and staff training.
With her knowledge, energy, and outgoing nature, Reva has contributed immensely to this mission by volunteering for more than 100 hours in the past year. She shopped for groceries, performed food demonstrations, co-led groups, provided Spanish translations, and gathered data that has enabled JF&CS staff to provide more nutrition programming and engage with clients on a more meaningful level.
"Reva is a talented young professional and an exemplary volunteer who is so deserving of this award. She is caring and committed and always connected with participant needs," said Alison Kaufman, MS, RDN, LDN, Director of Hunger and Nutrition.
Whether giving a recipe demo, teaching a family how to make quinoa in a microwave, or introducing a simple, healthy way to prepare collard greens, Reva was excited to learn and to share her knowledge about affordable, healthy, and above all, tasty food.
Reva grew up in Newton and graduated from Princeton with a degree in Architecture. She taught English and backpacked extensively after graduation, when she discovered the joy of cooking and saw how food can bring people together. She then attended Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts in Cambridge, graduating valedictorian in 2012.
"Reva is very passionate about food and about advocating for healthy food for people who have limited access," said Kristen Pufahl Schreck, MS, RD, LDN, Nutrition Services Program Manager. "She teaches about food in a way that would help anyone get excited about trying new things. Reva is such a great asset to our program."
"JF&CS is a great place to volunteer because I've been given a lot of personal attention and responsibility so that I feel that what I'm doing matters. It's nice to feel useful and incredibly appreciated," said Reva. "It's been really fulfilling."
JF&CS Nutrition Services is currently seeking the following volunteers: chefs, nutritionists, and workshop assistants. Please see our volunteer opportunities for more information.
For more information, call 781-647-JFCS (5327) or email your questions via our contact us page.
