PORT CHESTER NEXT STOP FOR SOUL FOOD COOK-OUT Here we go again! Chalking up the first ever Westchester County Soul Food Cook-Out earlier this summer as a success, the Office of African American Affairs is now planning for #2. The next free healthy cook-out event will be Sat., Sept. 22, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Weber Drive in Port Chester. Just as the kick-off June event at Yosemite Park was geared to Greenburgh residents, this one is for the Port Chester community. The county particularly hopes for a good turnout from residents living in the neighboring Weber, Travis and Purdy housing complexes. The Office of African American Affairs launched the community cook-out concept this summer as a creative way to encourage people -- especially in the Caribbean community -- to develop good nutritional habits. Student chefs from Westchester Community College will prepare favorite foods such as jerk chicken and an array of salads using healthier recipes and alternative ways of food preparation. Attendees get to sample the menu and take home the recipes. “Hopefully people will be inspired to go home and make these meals themselves,” said Tracey Mitchell, director of the Office for African American Affairs. “We want them to see how they can keep eating their favorite foods and still be healthy. All they have to do is make a few easy changes.” The cookout is part of County Executive Andy Spano’s Be Fit initiative that aims to raise awareness of better nutrition and fitness and to combat obesity. A report by the county’s Blue Ribbon Task Force on Health Disparities has highlighted the fact that African Americans in Westchester are adversely impacted by disparities in the health care system. Participants can take advantage of cholesterol, glucose and blood pressure screenings, and get tips on preventing diabetes and heart disease as well as other nutrition information. The Port Chester event will also have an “Ask the Doctor” booth staffed by the Open Door Family Medical Center where people can take their questions. Cook-outs are already being planned for Mount Vernon and Peekskill for 2008. Sunday’s event is being co-sponsored by the Union Baptist Church (Greenburgh Health and Wellness Initiative) - which received a $20,000 county grant for programs to help black residents better access health care, the Westchester County Health Department, the African American Advisory Board, Westchester Community College, Open Door Family Medical Centers, St. Frances AME Zion Church, the Port Chester Housing Authority and the American Heart Association. For more information, contact the Office of African American Affairs at (914) 995-2934.
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