Pastor Jenkins Participant Testimonial

It is with great thankfulness that I am writing this letter. In January 2023, I became a participant in the FEAST program (Food, Education Access, Support, Together). While in this program, I learned more than I expected, I ate foods that I thought I would never eat, I prepared foods that were out of my comfort zone. I did not realize how this program would be such a blessing to my family. My husband was diagnosed with mellitus diabetes a couple of years ago, which was controlled with diet. Unfortunately, I did not have the tools needed to really prepare his meals correctly, therefore my husband began to take medication to control his illness because his A1C (blood sugar) had gotten out of control.

This is where the FEAST program came into our lives. By taking part in the FEAST program, I was able to learn how to prepare healthy meals for my husband, how to substitute herbs for salt, and the big one for me was trying plant-based foods. To my surprise, we both loved our new way of eating. The biggest surprise was my husband’s A1C went from 7.5 down to 4.7.  Hallelujah!!! 

Someone may say I am not eating that stuff (I said it too). We still eat some of our same foods, however, we have gained some additional knowledge on treating ourselves better. Changes take time, but some are well worth it!
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Thank you for all your leadership, patience and time.

Sincerely,
Pastor Jamie (and Curtis) Jenkins


Belinda Wyche Participant Testimonial (Edited)

I am the caregiver for both my niece (who recently had a serious health scare) and her mother. The doctor has prescribed a Heart Healthy diet for my niece. I would like to thank the FEAST team because I was able to use the skills that I was taught to make healthier choices. The recipes and demonstrations from the sessions are just what I needed to be able to fix and prepare meals that are “nutritious as well as delicious” for them as well as for myself and my family. The FEAST session leaders also took us grocery shopping to do “label reading” which gave us the information we needed to be mindful of food choices. It was very informative and helpful.
So, my niece recently saw her doctor and the doctor told her “I don’t know what you are doing, but it’s working and you look great!” I am so thankful to the Lord for the FEAST program being there for me and my family. Thank you sooo much for reaching out to us in our community. Don’t think that this program is not working -me and my niece and family are able to say “It works!”

Thanks for making a difference in our community.
Gratefully Yours, Belinda Wyche