Abilities First was awarded $700,000 to launch the Life Skills Lab as part of OPWDD’s Supportive Residential Transformation Program. Abilities First is one of 17 agencies statewide to be funded. The Life Skills Lab includes three initiatives to help individuals build their skill levels for greater independence: a digital annotated cook book of healthy recipes for meal planning and preparation, a Teaching Kitchen to focus on healthy food preparation and nutrition, and enabling technology to add support and enhance communication skills.

In our first Teaching Kitchen session, Cornell Cooperative nutrition educator Megan Dhanabala, led a small group of residents who want to improve their eating habits and cooking skills. The group met at Hudson River Housing’s Poughkeepsie Underwear Factory to make a healthy dinner of black bean quesadillas, avocado and tomato salad, and apple crisp for dessert.

Through the Life Skills Lab, Abilities First will embark on a year long focus on reducing health disparities through healthy eating choices and cooking.

For more information on the Life Skills Lab initiative, please contact Marcy Handler at marcyhandler@abilitiesfirstny.org.