The Art of Eating Well: Nourishing NYC

Gina Keatley doesn’t take “no” for an answer. As CEO and Director of Nourishing NYC, she teaches people that they can eat well, no matter their lifestyle and environment. Alongside husband Scott Keatley, the organization’s CFO and Director of Education, Gina helps nourish New Yorkers through programs that feed, educate, and advocate.

This past Thursday, Nourishing NYC joined up with NACE at the William Bennett Gallery for the “Art of Eating Well” benefit. Attendees enjoyed the gallery’s fantastic art collection, which features an impressive range of Salvador Dalís, along with wine, sake, and snacks. The silent auction included enticing prizes like a reservation for four at the don’t-even-try-to-get-a-table-here Rao’s Restaurant.

All proceeds from the auction went to a very worthy cause: the Junior Chefs Program. Focusing their efforts on East Harlem, Nourishing NYC runs community nutrition classes for community members of all ages, and a special program for children ages 6-12. The Plant 2 Plate Junior Chef Program is a hands-on workshop in urban gardening and the culinary arts. Gina says that while the program has helped many children reach a healthy weight in a neighborhood afflicted with high obesity rates, “its greatest effect on the children is allowing them to become advocates in their own lives and for their families. They understand better what is good for them and what is bad and that there should be more good stuff in their grocery stores, bodegas, and refrigerators.”

Nourishing NYC also delivers healthy food to neighborhoods in need of nourishment by VAN (a Vehicle Advocating Nutrition, run on vegetable oil of course). They bring free, nutritional meals and fresh breads and produce directly to low-income residents. Gina hopes that once people get a taste of how good healthy food can be, healthier eating habits will follow. She also hopes to produce a positive produce cycle, by which increasing demand for fresh produce will decrease prices.

Without government funding, Nourishing NYC is fueled by the efforts of 2,500 volunteers and the generosity of neighborhood gardens, CSAs, and grocery stores like Trader Joes. They give out 4-500 pounds of produce in a matter of 10 minutes in an area largely devoid of fresh fruits and vegetables. Nourishing NYC’s hot meal winter program depends on donations from healthy local restaurants.

You can learn more about the incredible work Nourishing NYC is doing and how you can help them here.