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A new Teaching and Demonstration Kitchen slated to open at NewYork-Presbyterian/Hudson Valley Hospital has already received a $20,000 grant to support a program that will teach young children about healthy eating in the battle against childhood obesity.

The Young Chefs of the Hudson Valley, which will work with area school districts, will receive the funding from Newman’s Own Foundation, the independent foundation created by the late actor and philanthropist, Paul Newman.

The program will enroll 60 at-risk children ages 11-13 in weekly healthy cooking classes administered by trained chefs and dietitians currently on staff at HVHC. The program aims to improve the health of children and reduce the risks of obesity. It is one of several community classes that will be taught in the kitchen. 

"We know what a large role nutrition plays in our overall health," said Hudson Valley Hospital President John C. Federspiel. "NewYork-Presbyterian/Hudson Valley Hospital has developed its Harvest for Health program to help educate our patients and the community on the value of healthy eating in preventing chronic conditions such as obesity, diabetes and heart disease. We are grateful to Newman’s Own Foundation for its support of our Young Chefs of the Hudson Valley program which will provide a healthy nutritional foundation for our local youngsters."

The grant received by NewYork-Presbyterian/Hudson Valley Hospital is part of the Foundation’s two-year, $7 million commitment to innovative programs that are helping to advance nutrition awareness, education, and fresh food access.

"There is great momentum right now in addressing the many challenging issues around nutrition," said Lisa Walker, Managing Director of Newman’s Own Foundation. "We are pleased to award a grant to NewYork-Presbyterian/Hudson Valley Hospital to support their important contributions in this area."

The Teaching and Demonstration Kitchen is part of the Hospital’s Harvest for Health program, a multi-faceted program featuring an organic garden, Farmers’ Market and new Hospital food service that uses locally grown produce. The kitchen was recently named in honor of "Iron Chef" winner, Chef Peter X. Kelly, who has been integral in the development of the kitchen. The kitchen is still under construction and is expected to be dedicated before year’s end.

For more information about Harvest for Health and the Teaching and Demonstration Kitchen visit hvhc.npgdev.com.