Food Literacy: The Life Skill Finally Being Taught in Schools.

Imagine a 13-year-old student—overweight for her age, already pre-diabetic—who has grown up surrounded by food but never truly learned how to use it. Vegetables feel unfamiliar. Cooking feels out of reach. Then she joins a food literacy program at school. She discovers there are fruits and vegetables she actually enjoys. She learns how to prepare them. Over time, her eating habits change, her health improves, and eventually, medication is no longer part of her daily life. Her family follows her lead—because food literacy doesn’t stop in the classroom.

With food literacy, stories like this aren’t hypothetical. They’re happening.

In this episode, I speak with Amber Stott, Founder and CEO—and proudly titled Chief Food Genius—of the Food Literacy Center. We talk about childhood obesity, food insecurity, and why teaching kids how to cook may be one of the most effective long-term health interventions we have.

Why This Matters

• Nearly 40% of children in the Sacramento region are considered obese, many while also experiencing food insecurity
• Cheap, calorie-dense food and a lack of basic food education are driving diet-related diseases at younger and younger ages
• Once unhealthy habits are formed, they’re hard to undo—but kids don’t have habits yet, we can make a difference with the right programs

Food Literacy Center focuses on prevention, not correction—building healthy behaviors early, when they’re most likely to stick.

What You’ll Hear in This Episode

• Why hunger and obesity often exist side by side
• How hands-on cooking changes kids’ attitudes toward food
• Why 94% of students in the program try new fruits and vegetables
• How behavior change happens at school—and carries home
• What it takes to scale impact without losing quality
• Why adults consistently underestimate what kids are willing to try

By the Numbers

• 40% – Childhood obesity rate in the Sacramento region
• 94% – Students who try new fruits or vegetables in the program
• 75% – Students who ask for those foods at home
• 23 schools – Current reach, with plans to double by 2027
• $160 per child – Cost of prevention versus far higher long-term health costs

Who This Episode Is For

• Nonprofit leaders focused on prevention and early intervention
• Educators and school administrators
• Funders interested in scalable, evidence-based programs
• Anyone concerned about childhood health, food access, and equity

Find out more about the Food Literacy Center by visiting their website: FoodLiteracyCenter.org

Episode Chapters

00:00 Why Food Literacy Started
05:20 Childhood Obesity & Food Insecurity
10:45 Why Schools Change Habits
17:30 Kids Try New Foods (94%)
25:15 Getting Food Home to Families
34:40 Scaling to More Schools
44:10 What’s Next for Food Literacy Center

Thank you so much for listening to this nonprofit story!  We appreciate you. Please visit the website to sign up for our email updates and newsletter. https://www.nonprofpod.com/  And if you like, leave me a voicemail to comment on the program, leave a question for us to ask in the future or a message for me, Jeff Holden. I may even use your voice mail message in a future episode of one of our incredible local nonprofit organizations. https://www.nonprofpod.com/voicemail. Thanks again for your support in listening, commenting and sharing the great work our local nonprofits are accomplishing. 

Transcript

Amber Stott: [00:00:00] We see kids who've never seen broccoli or pears before. The population that we are serving, these are kids who are actually hungry at home, and so it's kind of hard to wrap your mind around how hungry kids can. Also be obese. The problem in America is that our food that has a lot of calories is the cheap food, but those calories aren't nutrient dense.

You end up with these diet related diseases even though these kids don't have enough to eat.

Jeff Holden: Welcome to the Nonprofit Podcast Network. Our purpose and passion are simple. To highlight the incredible nonprofits that make our communities stronger. Each episode is a chance for these organizations to tell their story in their words, sharing not just what they do, but why it matters to the people they serve, to their [00:01:00] supporters, and to all of us who believe in the power of community.

Through podcasting, we hope to amplify their voices, inspire connection, and give them one more tool to impact the hearts of donors. Partners and neighbors alike. This work is made possible through the generous support of our incredible partners. CAPTRUST offering fiduciary advice for endowments and foundations, Western Health Advantage, a local not-for-profit health plan that believes healthcare is more than coverage.

It's about caring core executive leadership and comprehensive support services. They work in it so you can work on it. Five Star Bank, a local trusted advisor to community nonprofits for over 25 years. Permission is simple. Inspire kids to eat their vegetables when it comes to healthier communities. The right ingredients matter.

Imagine us in the kitchen for [00:02:00] this episode as I speak with Amber Stott, founder and CEO plus, the proudly titled Chief Food Genius of the Food Literacy Center. Amber and her team are stepping into Title One elementary schools across our region to teach kids hands-on cooking and nutrition, helping them build habits before life builds the wrong ones for them.

You'll hear how Food Literacy Center grew from a bold idea into a $3 million impact. Combine why kids are far more adventurous eaters than adults give them credit for, and how a broccoli boundaries and radish routines approach is changing what students choose at school. Salad bars. And what they ask for at home.

The approach is working 94% of students in their program try new fruits and 

Scott Thomas: vegetables each week. Let's get a little organic and certainly fresh. 

Jeff Holden: Amber stat, welcome to the Nonprofit Podcast Network. 

Amber Stott: Thank you so much for having me, Jeff. 

Jeff Holden: So let's start right from the beginning. [00:03:00] You're the founder, the CEO and the Chief Food Genius of the Food Literacy Center.

Amber Stott: Yes. 

Jeff Holden: Help us understand how this came to be. 

Amber Stott: Absolutely. Yeah. So first our mission is to inspire kids to eat their vegetables. How we do this is we go into low income or title one elementary schools and we teach hands-on cooking and nutrition. So to back up to the beginning of why we decided to do this in the first place, um, 

Jeff Holden: in.

2015. 

Amber Stott: So I started the nonprofit in 2011. 

Jeff Holden: 2011, okay. 

Amber Stott: Yeah. 15 years ago. 

Jeff Holden: Yes. That, that, and that's what it is. I keep adding it backwards. Dyslexia or whatever. 

Amber Stott: Yeah. So it was in the great recession and at the same time, there were all of these amazing. Books coming out where I think for the very first time we were being introduced to something called a food system.

So like Jane Goodall was writing harvests for Hope, the daughter of Francis Lappe, who wrote Diet for a Small [00:04:00] Planet, her daughter wrote Diet for a Hot Planet. So all these. Great books were coming out at the time and I was reading them all. I was working in the nonprofit sector and I was not seeing, other than like food banks and maybe the beginnings of a couple of urban farms, I wasn't really seeing.

Anyone in the Sacramento area addressing our food system. Mm-hmm. And I really wanted to be part of that. There was a burning in my belly. I was mad. I wanted to fix it. So I started asking questions and interviewing other nonprofits to find out where the gaps were and what some solutions might be that would be actually useful.

And for example, when I talked to the food bank, they said, you know, we're hearing loud and clear that there's an obesity epidemic in America. And we're trying to change what we put on our shelves, but people aren't taking the fruits and vegetables and we need to educate them because people don't know what this stuff is or what to do with them.[00:05:00] 

And other nonprofits said similar things. We're trying to educate folks about eating healthier, but it's not sticking. 

Jeff Holden: And did I see on your website 40% of the Sacramento children would be considered obese? 

Amber Stott: Yes. We have a 40% childhood obesity rate in the Sacramento area. Yes. 

Jeff Holden: Absolute need for what you're doing.

Amber Stott: Yes, and this crisis started at that time we were just beginning as Americans to be aware that this was a crisis and that our food was a massive contributor. And so when I heard these stories about other nonprofits trying to. Provide their services, but bumping up against this barrier of folks not really knowing how to eat healthy or what to eat.

I was doing research and two generations of Americans don't know how to cook with or select fresh vegetables. And I thought, oh, I know how to cook. We're not talking about chef level stuff. We're talking about what do you do with a bell pepper and how do you turn it into a meal? And then I did a bunch of [00:06:00] research to understand.

How do, what were the most successful behavior change campaigns that existed and they were anti-tobacco and seat belts. And who were the target of those campaigns? Not smokers and drivers, littles? Mm-hmm. Why kids? Because kids don't have habits. Good or bad yet. It's much easier to build a healthy habit than to undo a bad one.

So we wanna start with the next generation and hope that we can turn the dial. So I had a friend who was running an afterschool program in Oak Park, and she said, why don't you pilot this program at my school? So I put a team of experts together that would help me with curriculum and nutrition and food literacy began.

Jeff Holden: How did it come to be that you started in the schools and how did you get the schools to engage with you? 

Amber Stott: Yeah, so it started with this one school where my friend was the after school director and people started to hear about it. At the time, I had a food blog. I had a lot of friends who were in [00:07:00] media.

And so the word kind of got out pretty quickly that we were doing this, and I started getting calls from other school nurses, school principals saying, we read about your program, can you come to our school? And so at the time, we had to give our program away for free because the adults were a barrier because they did not think kids would like a program about healthy eating.

Meanwhile, we were evaluating our program from day one. And we were finding that 94% of the kids in our program were eating new fruits and vegetables every week with us. Kids would tell us their very favorite thing was that they got to try and taste new foods, but adults don't under wait. That's 

Jeff Holden: certainly in the right direction.

Quickly. 

Amber Stott: Yeah. Oh yeah. And there's so many elements. To why our program is a success. We've got a methodology, it's called Broccoli Boundaries and Radish Routines that we have developed over the years, but we continue to have these high rates of success as we scale our program and go into more schools and reach more [00:08:00] kids.

We continue to see that steady 94% of kids are willing and excited to taste new foods in our program. 

Jeff Holden: So I can imagine as a student in the class, you bring in something that's new, they enjoy it. It's certainly different in many cases. It's probably the first time they've ever eaten that vegetable, right?

Amber Stott: Oh yeah. Oh yeah. We see kids who've never seen broccoli or pears before. Peas, 

Jeff Holden: fruit, 

Amber Stott: the population that we are serving, these are kids who are actually hungry at home, and so it's kind of hard to wrap your mind around how hungry kids can. Also be obese. Mm-hmm. And the problem in America is that our food that has a lot of calories is the cheap food, but those calories aren't nutrient dense.

Right. And so you end up with these diet related diseases even though these kids don't have enough to eat. Mm-hmm. And so that population in particular. When you're on food stamps, for example, you have a very limited budget and [00:09:00] you are not going to experiment by bringing home three different things your kids have never eaten before, and to see which ones they'll try.

We have a family right now, their son is in third grade. He has fatty liver disease, and the mom was very excited to find out about food literacies program because she knew her kid liked broccoli, but she doesn't want. She doesn't have the means to go to the store and bring home four different things to see if he will eat them.

Mm-hmm. Whatever she buys must be eaten because that's their only food. So she was excited that in our program he'll be exposed to more varieties so she can find out what he likes so that she can then start buying a better variety than just broccoli for him. 

Jeff Holden: And that's 

Amber Stott: amazing. And that's what we find.

Jeff Holden: And I do hear this, this fatty liver disease in our youth, any youth, if it's even young adults, that should not exist. 

Amber Stott: Yes. Kids and kids have adult diseases now. Yes. 

Jeff Holden: Right. And we know it's ingestion. What we're eating is causing it. There is no other [00:10:00] option. But what comes in our mouths, 

Amber Stott: I mean there it's a combination of things, right?

We look at social genetics, determinants of health. So there are all kinds of things. Your zip code will determine how long you live and the type of health you have. And the kids that we are working with, for example, don't have sidewalks, don't have safe places to play. So how can they be physically active?

Mm-hmm. The location of the stores that sell healthy food is often you need transportation to get to them. Food deserts are, that's barrier neighborhood. So the, the social. Elements of the way cities are designed and built and who gets, gets which resources, all of these things stack up against our kids.

But what they do all have is they're going to public schools. And in the state of California, all of the elementary schools have salad bars. So if our kids learn to love and eat fruits and vegetables. They have access to that at their school. And in [00:11:00] fact, we partner really closely with the school lunch program and they tell us that in the schools where we have food literacy programs, those students will take more and a wider variety off the salad bar.

Jeff Holden: Isn't that wonderful? Something's happening there. There we're gonna talk about impact in a minute, but there's a proof positive right there. 

Amber Stott: Oh yeah, yeah. 

Jeff Holden: Student gets excited about the food that you are exposing them to. They go home, then what? Now? You, you, you address that Parent is concerned and understanding, but I'm sure there's a lot of places where the student comes home and says, mom and dad, I just ate this, whatever it is, and.

Either they don't like it or they don't know what it is. How does that interface from the student back to home? 

Amber Stott: Sure. So couple things. 75% of the kids in our program we know go home and request the foods they've tasted in our program. 

Jeff Holden: 75%. 

Amber Stott: Yep. Um, that's wild. And then we also do a lot to work on that food access barrier that we know our students are facing.

So the Sacramento Food Bank is one of our. [00:12:00] Big partners, were a member. So nonprofits are members of the food bank. The food bank is like a warehouse. Mm-hmm. Where food is stored. And then nonprofit partners like us are the way they get that food out into the community. So we go to the food bank, we pick up that food, and so pick.

For example, right now, next week is the holiday season. Our kids are about to go home from school for a long break into houses where they don't have access to a lot of fresh fruits and vegetables. So we use the food bank to pop up a, we create a little kids' farmer's market. We give the kids fake money and they'll shop and they will fill to the gills, big bags of fresh produce, potatoes, oranges, apples, broccoli stuff to last them for their long winter break.

And so that's one way we get. The healthy food into their homes. But another way that we did that, the pandemic actually was a bright spot in terms of us getting feedback and input from families. So when we could not be in schools with our kids anymore while they were passing [00:13:00] out. The hot school meals.

Mm-hmm. Folks could drive up and after they got their meal from the school lunch program, they could stop at a booth where food literacy was also in the parking lot. And we sent home kits that had all of the fresh ingredients to make some of our students' favorite recipes. And it was enough to make, you know, a meal for a family of four.

And so we were sending these home. All throughout the pandemic, and we were getting so much positive feedback. There were principals who would tell us, the only day I saw X, Y, Z family was on the day. Food literacy was there to distribute. We would hear parents saying, oh my gosh, you know, my kid loves that broccoli potato taco recipe.

When's that coming back? Or grandma's who were saying, we loved that spaghetti recipe. Can we make it again? And then when schools reopened after the pandemic. We went back to our hands-on cooking program and took the recipe kits away because that was, we thought a temporary solution. Parents and grandparents went to school.

Principals saying, [00:14:00] when can we get those kits back? We loved those kits, and so we started getting calls from principals saying, when can you bring these kits back? And when we brought the kits back, there would be lines around the block and we would give out, say 75 kits in five minutes. So they're very popular kids love these resp.

And we we're working in schools where we reach an average of a hundred kids per school. Right now. We're gonna be in 23 schools this school year. 

Jeff Holden: You answered my question. I was just gonna ask. 

Amber Stott: So we get feedback on our recipes pretty fast. Uh, there's a lot of kids. 23 

Jeff Holden: schools a lot. With an average of a hundred.

It's 2300 students. Yes. Yes. Touching every time you're there. 

Amber Stott: Yes. Yeah. So, so we get feedback real fast and we know if our kids like a recipe. So if, if we're finding that the students are not eating that recipe, it goes back to get tested and redesigned or scrapped altogether, and we come up with something new.

So 

Jeff Holden: do you test them on the students to identify? 

Amber Stott: Yeah. Yep. 

Jeff Holden: You bring it for a lunch or something, or a breakfast or 

Amber Stott: we just bring it to the [00:15:00] program because we'll reach so many children right then and there. So yeah. So we'll know very quickly if a recipe has landed and we end up tweaking recipes based on what we're seeing or how the kids are interacting with them.

We also get like little requests from kids. Our broccoli potato taco was a double dog dare from some fifth and sixth grade students at Pacific Elementary. Told me I couldn't make a broccoli taco taste good. So we had a contest, we, and we came up with two recipes, a, a cactus taco and a broccoli potato.

And then the whole school, the kids cooked 'em for the whole school and they did a taste test. 

Jeff Holden: Well, how fun 

Amber Stott: is that? Yeah. So we do stuff, fun stuff like that. 

Jeff Holden: Well, you probably have some emerging chefs outta this thing at some point too. 

Amber Stott: We do, and we're so proud and you know, of course we don't know where all of our students are, but we hear from time to time and so I know for sure one is currently at Hook and Ladder and another.

Oh, that's 

Jeff Holden: so neat. 

Amber Stott: Yeah. Another is a chef at Ella, so really proud of them. 

Jeff Holden: Wow. 

Amber Stott: Yeah. Yeah. 

Jeff Holden: Both great restaurants. 

Amber Stott: Yeah, absolutely. [00:16:00] So yeah, some kids fall in love and, and it sticks 

Jeff Holden: as you look at the program. I, I'm sure there's many things you didn't foresee, you know, coming down when you started it in 2011 to where it is today in 20 26, 25 today as we speak, but soon to be 2026.

Who are the people that you collaborate besides the schools and, and obviously the Food Bank, Sacramento Food Bank and Family Services. Who else is in there that works with you, collaborates with you? Because I can see you touching so many different organizations. 

Amber Stott: Oh, yeah. We have a ton of partner. I mean.

No nonprofit is successful without many other nonprofit partners. Mm-hmm. We are located across the street from public housing, so SHRA is a big collaborative partner. Sure. We have relationships with small urban farmers. The food bank is a big one. The the Sacramento Public Library. Actually has been one of our more important partners over the years.

We started off in a lot of libraries before the schools invited us in. Okay. So we've done a lot of programming with the libraries. We [00:17:00] helped with their, they always do summer feeding programs, so we'll come in and do nutrition activities and education and partnerships. So, so many partners. Yeah. 

Jeff Holden: And I, I can just see all the tentacles you've got into the community because when you're talking about food and kids.

Everybody wants to be there. They want to help. They want, we know a student can't learn if they are sitting in classroom hungry. It's just 

Amber Stott: absolutely, 

Jeff Holden: it's impossible. With regard to budget, when you started, obviously you went from nothing and continued, and continued and continue. I think around 2015, you said you maybe had $300,000 to work with.

Where are you today? 

Amber Stott: We're about 3 million now, so, 

Jeff Holden: oh my goodness. 

Amber Stott: Yeah. Thank you. We've 

Jeff Holden: been tenfold since 2015. 

Amber Stott: Yeah, yeah. Yep. We right. Cause right time. Yeah. I think, and honestly, the proof is in the children, right? They're asking for this program by name. Wait, here's another great example of that is that, so we only teach elementary and [00:18:00] there's a school called Luther Burbank, and they have mm-hmm.

A high school program where they teach gardening. Those students were asking their teacher if they could get cooking classes on top of their garden class, and they reached out to Food Literacy Center. Our educator shows up on the first day to teach and recognizes three. To six students that he had taught when they were in elementary school.

So they were the ones asking for the cooking classes because they had already had that exposure and wanted to continue to learn, so. So yeah, it's really exciting to see that longevity and I think the parents demanded, the principals demanded, the school nurses demand it. I think people see the, the results.

Like I told you in the beginning years, we had to give our program away for free, no one would. Mm-hmm. So it's. It's unusual for an afterschool provider to not get paid by the school district. They have a budget and that's how they run afterschool programs. [00:19:00] Mm-hmm. So it was very unusual that we were in all these schools and just doing it for free.

At some point, the school district realized. How much we were doing and the impact it was having. They came out and saw our program in person and they were immediately like, we need you in more schools. We're going to pay you. UHT isn't wonderful though, so that was an amazing turning point that did not happen, I think until 2022.

So it hasn't not been that long that we have had and we still find today. When we want new schools, sometimes we have to offer the program for free because they just, the adults can't wrap their minds around the fact that the kids would love this program. 

Jeff Holden: Well, and you've got a couple of things happening there.

You've got almost a self-sustaining program because you start them at a young age, they go through grammar school, they get to high school, and they say, where is it? I need this. Yes. 

Amber Stott: They 

need 

Jeff Holden: the engagement. 

Amber Stott: The district is now asking us, will you go to middle schools? Will you go to high schools? As as it gets, 

Jeff Holden: right?

Amber Stott: So yeah, the demand is there and we're really the only nonprofit in this community that is [00:20:00] providing this type of service. 

Jeff Holden: We'll return to this fresh medley of a conversation with Amber Stout of the Food Literacy Center right after we hear from those making this program possible. 

James Beckwith: I'm James Beckwith, president and CEO of Five Star Bank.

We're dedicated to supporting nonprofit organizations who advocate for the strength, resilience, and vitality of those they serve. When nonprofit organizations thrive, our community does too. By supporting the nonprofit podcast network, five Star Bank is amplifying the voices and meaningful impact of our nonprofit community.

We're five Star Bank, a trusted nonprofit partner. How can we help you? 

Darrell Teat: We are really excited to be part of the family and contribute to the work that you all are doing. Core provides fractional and interim executive services along with comprehensive back office solutions that go into our client sites and do the [00:21:00] work to give them the capacity they need in order to move through transitions, whether that's planned or unplanned, or companies also work with our accounting and finance.

Back Office solutions, human resources, technology and administration. The reason why our back office solutions add value is because we save them time and money anywhere from 20 to 30% of what they would spend on that back office solution. We work in it so they can actually work on it. CXOR e.com and contact me directly at DTE a t@cxoe.com.

Jeff Holden: If you're interested in learning more about how CORE may help your organization, visit CXO r.com. 

Scott Thomas: Hello, this is Scott Thomas with CAPTRUST in our Sacramento office. I specialize in working with local nonprofits and associations annually. We survey private and public nonprofit organizations across the country to better understand challenges they see in [00:22:00] today's environment.

In our more recent survey, we hear concerns about proper board governance, mission aligned investment, and how to implement alternative investments. If you would like a copy of the survey or do discuss your organization, look me up, scottThomas@captrust.com. 

Jeff Holden: At Western Health Advantage. Healthcare isn't just a service, it's a shared value.

As a nonprofit leader, you need a health plan that understands the important of mission-driven work. Western Health Advantage is a local not-for-profit health plan that supports organizations like yours with affordable, flexible coverage options for your team. What truly sets them apart is their commitment to community supporting nonprofits like the American Heart Association, Sacramento Ballet, and the Crocker Art Museums Pay what you wish Sundays with access to top tier providers and dedicated local support.

Western Health advantages more than a health plan. It's a partner in your purpose. [00:23:00] Explore your options today@westernhealth.com. Western Health Advantage, healthcare with heart. It's designed for those who give back. Let's just look a little bit deeper into that. So you're getting into the schools at a different level.

The schools then are a fee for service? Mm-hmm. Part of the organization? Yes. So when you were at that 300, whatever that number kept elevating to before you got the schools in as a fee for service, how did you raise funds? How did you generate revenue? 

Amber Stott: Generous humans. Uh, yeah. So, wow. And I can tell you the story of one of our first donations actually.

So the California endowment, they were very critical. Mm-hmm. In those early years, they were specifically targeting South Sacramento for a 10 year period. Specifically targeting food access programs. And so when I was starting Food Literacy Center and I had that one program in my friend's school, I met with them and I said, you know, here's my plan.

Here's what I wanna do. What will it take? What do you need to see in order for you to fund Food [00:24:00] literacy center? And there's something called the rule of thirds in the nonprofit sector. You can't get, it's to like sort of prevent, like 

Jeff Holden: overweighting your, 

Amber Stott: no, it's to prevent like. I think companies from saying, oh, we have this charitable arm, but they're the only oness putting the money in the pot.

Yes. So if you're, if you're genuinely a public charity, you should be actively looking for donations from a multitude of places. 

Jeff Holden: Yes. 

Amber Stott: So, so nobody kinda wants to be that first check because then they're, your rule of thirds isn't there. Right. They look like the sole 

Jeff Holden: source. Right. 

Amber Stott: Yeah. Uhhuh So, so I understood that I needed to have.

Some other early funders before endowment would, wasn't gonna cut the first check. So I had my first board and one of my first board members started the food blog, simply Recipes. And we were in our, one of our first board meetings and. I was all prepared to, you know, say to the board, we are gonna hunker down and [00:25:00] raise $40,000 this year.

That was my big goal, enough to hire our first educator. And that board member said, oh, I brought my checkbook. I was gonna write a check for $10,000. Would that be enough? And I cried. Sure. 'cause at that moment I knew I was not alone. And then I called the California endowment and I said. I've got my first check, will you match it?

And they did. 

Jeff Holden: Awesome. 

Amber Stott: So, and from there, you know, once you have some people with credibility willing to support your cause, it becomes easier to get Kaiser on board and Dignity Health on board and Raley's on board. And so it just continued to grow over the years as. I think our reputation for having fiscal integrity and having a program that gets results, I think that word just spreads.

And so, yeah, we're very fortunate that we work with many of the, you know, the suds and 

Jeff Holden: you just named some of the biggest philanthropic companies. In our region. 

Amber Stott: Yeah. 

Jeff Holden: You know, [00:26:00] with SUD and Kaiser and Sutter and, and they all fit, they're perfect for you. Yeah. In so many different ways. 

Amber Stott: Yeah. We feel very fortunate to have had an ongoing support from these entities, which has really mattered and they have chosen to grow with us.

So it's just been, it's been wonderful to be able to, to grow and scale and reach more kids and, and. Quite frankly, you know, in the nonprofit sector, sometimes you have an idea. You start a program and nobody shows up and you know you haven't landed. 

Jeff Holden: Yeah. 

Amber Stott: This idea lands. People want it and the kids love it.

And so every time we try to go somewhere new, people say, yes, come right in. 

Jeff Holden: Well, that track record is really commendable. 

Amber Stott: Thank you. 

Jeff Holden: And seeing it in all those schools and now seeing those children grow up. Just imagine if they didn't. Mm-hmm. You know, there's so many things that wouldn't have happened and you're preventing them from getting sicker.

Mm-hmm. You so it's, it's a, it's a wellness as well as a healthy eating, so it keeps 'em outta the, the [00:27:00] healthcare system. Mm-hmm. Which is beneficial to the Kaisers and Sutters and Dignities and all, all of us. The, the expense of the community that we bear when Absolutely. When these kids get sick.

Amber Stott: Absolutely. '

Jeff Holden: cause it's just. It's unhealthy in every way you can think of it. 

Amber Stott: It costs an employer an average of over $500 per employee for these diet related diseases. Mm. We're preventing this for $160 a kid, 

Jeff Holden: which is nothing, relatively speaking. Mm-hmm. How many employees do you have? 

Amber Stott: We're up to 15. 

Jeff Holden: Wow.

15 in a $3 million budget. That's not a lot of people for a lot of activity. 

Amber Stott: Yes. We work with a lot of volunteers, so for every school that we go to, we send one paid educator Uhhuh, and they're accompanied by. Volunteers from the community. And that's the only way we can do it because cooking is very hands-on.

And so we have to have a one to 10 teacher to student ratio. And so far we have 40 or 50 kids in a class. We're trying to bring in [00:28:00] four or five humans, but we can only afford to pay for one of them and keep the cost of our program at what it is so that we can scale. So yeah, it's harder post pandemic because.

Nationally, volunteerism has Has dropped. 

Jeff Holden: Yes. Dropped. 

Amber Stott: Mm-hmm. Yeah, so we'll be hiring a volunteer director in 2026, and hopefully we can find some really strong candidates because it is crucial to our ability to grow. Sure. 

Jeff Holden: I think people engage differently with different causes. Mm-hmm. And this is certainly one that has not only a heartstring tongue to it, but who doesn't like hanging out with kids.

Amber Stott: Yes. You get to actually be hands on and deliver the program. That's pretty rare right In, in the nonprofit sector. 

Jeff Holden: So let's shift a little bit. You have had the benefit of a dream being realized recently. With regard to a cooking school that you've built a 4,500 square feet cooking school with a commercial kitchen inside.

Amber Stott: Yes. 

Jeff Holden: What is that and how did that happen? [00:29:00] Because that's realized. What would it look like if somebody says, Hey, I'm, I wanna double down on that. What would you do if someone came in with a blank check and said, Amber, love what you're doing. Here's more. 

Amber Stott: Yeah, yeah. So to, to answer the first part of the question, the cooking school, so our school district built us a cooking school.

We got to help design it and. Conceive the programmatic elements that would be met by this design. We got to pick out the colors, you know? Oh, wow. Like everything. Yes. I remember putting on there was an architect, he, they interviewed us extensively, then they went and drew things and then they put me in like one of those 3D goggles.

Yes. And they had me walk around in the. Drawing. And I remember saying to them, this isn't big enough. We're, we're already growing as you guys are building this, we're growing and this needs to be twice as big. And, and they went back and made it bigger. I mean, so we're, we've been amazingly fortunate. Wow.

Yes. That we've [00:30:00] had this level of engagement with our school district and that they prioritize. So we paid $0. The school district used their money. To provide this benefit that we get to operate. So it's an amazing, amazing, it, it 

Jeff Holden: truly is. Yes. You don't, you just don't hear stories like that. 

Amber Stott: You do not.

And so, and we're very grateful. Our, our school board was prioritizing student health and. Saw the successes that we were having with students and it became a clear path forward for them. So we are very fortunate. And so, yeah. So in this school, it is located right next to a current elementary school. It has a one acre plot of land that we use for student farm.

It is also an example of government Gone. Right? There is a partnership between us, the school district, and the city of Sacramento. So our farm. 

Jeff Holden: Love to hear that. 

Amber Stott: Yes. Love 

Jeff Holden: to hear that. 

Amber Stott: Our farm doubles as a city park. There's an [00:31:00] easement with the city of Sacramento, and then there's also, instead of a parking lot, we chose to have community gardens built that parks and rec runs.

So yeah, it's this beautiful. It's almost like a compound. Yes. I would call it. And it's across the street from public housing, and it is next to Liata Floyd Elementary School, which is a Title one school. So in our cooking school, the students next door, there's like 270 students, every single one of them attends our program at our cooking school for their science and for their health.

So they all get. 20 weeks of hands-on cooking and gardening education total during their school year. 

Jeff Holden: Boy. And if we don't think they take that home. That's a beautiful thing. 

Amber Stott: Well, and that's why the community gardens are out front because I, I said early on I said, we can't teach these kids to garden and then send them back to places where they don't even have a front yard.

Jeff Holden: Right. 

Amber Stott: And so we put the community gardens in and our families absolutely garden there. So we [00:32:00] see our students and their parents gardening in the community garden after school. So it's really nice. And yeah, so that is the. Dream that has been realized. We got those keys in 2021. Okay. So we've only had a few school years in that facility.

And then, 

Jeff Holden: and can, can I ask you as a full cooking. Compound, so to speak. Yeah. What do you do with all the food? What are you cooking for? 

Amber Stott: The kids cook in their cooking class. 

Jeff Holden: Okay. 

Amber Stott: And then they eat it. 

Jeff Holden: Okay. 

Amber Stott: Yeah. 

Jeff Holden: So it takes care of whomever those children are that are in the classes for that period of time.

Amber Stott: Yes. 

Jeff Holden: Okay, perfect. 

Amber Stott: And then we also use the facility, like there's a huge walk-in storage. So when we go to the food bank for all that produce that we use at our kids' farmers' markets, we have a place to, we have the place to store it for all those recipe kit distributions, which we still do to this day. We those, yeah, those aren't going, they want 

Jeff Holden: more and more what they want.

Those prepackaged kits 

Amber Stott: we have increased when the whole snap scare happened. Yes. And so. What's happening with Snap on October one, [00:33:00] the state of California, the federal budget, the big beautiful bill diminished how much money was being put towards Snap? So the state of California, that all took effect October one and, uh, 

Jeff Holden: 2025.

Somebody's listening later. 

Amber Stott: Yes. And so full, I think 20% of that budget that got axed was the. Budget for the Snap Nutrition Education Program, which is free statewide nutrition programming. The only thing that was somewhat comparable to what Food Literacy Center does. Mm-hmm. Completely gone, not coming back under this budget.

Also in that big beautiful bill, there is a timeline on which Snap will deplete again. So on top of the fact that we have 29% inflation. At the grocery store, our families are completely strapped and they're not getting the services that they need. So then there was the scare in November 1st that SNAP maybe [00:34:00] wasn't gonna get renewed during the government shutdown.

It did get renewed, but it's not keeping up with the rate of inflation and the needs of our families. So, 

Jeff Holden: and we do hear that from everybody we speak to that has anything, whether it be homelessness or food insecurity, et cetera, a lot of the organizations are just struggling be because this food insecurity has gotten.

So significant. 

Amber Stott: Yes. 

Jeff Holden: And it's compounding. 

Amber Stott: Yes. 

Jeff Holden: It's not diminishing, it's just it's continuing to grow and grow and grow as a greater problem for us. 

Amber Stott: Yes. And I would say that almost every nonprofit I know is now in the crisis. Like crisis response mode. If you were a mental health organization, you're now also giving out food.

Mm-hmm. Right? So all of us are giving out more food, so, so when that all started back in fall, we made a commitment that every school we go to, so we usually just go and cook and the kids eat the snack that we make and then we go home. And those kids farmers markets are like a special one-time thing. But now we [00:35:00] go with huge three.

To five boxes of produce, like 50 pound bags of carrots, for example. Mm-hmm. And we are dropping that in addition to our program. So when we go to the school, we bring those boxes and bags and let people just fill them. So that is now a standard part of our programming. Great. Is this food distribution to meet that need.

And we continue to hear many stories from the families. That this is critical. We had one little boy, he looked so sad. Most kids get very excited about the kids' farmer's market. He was sad. I said, what's wrong today? He said, whenever I take home from here, my mom's gonna make me eat. I said, then make sure you only take what you like.

Jeff Holden: Yeah, that's right. 

Amber Stott: So he grabbed a whole bunch of apples and carrots. 

Jeff Holden: I said that might have been the problem. He was eyeing what he, what he likes and maybe there wasn't enough of it or something. He's saying, gosh, I don't wanna have to take the broccoli 

Amber Stott: or the rads. I think he thought he had to take all of it.

I was like, you don't have to take an onion. There you go. There you go. So, [00:36:00] so the need is there. US economy right now is in a K shape. The people who participate in the stock market. Are seeing their wealth grow and grow and grow. Mm-hmm. There is a growing population of those who are not participating in the stock market and their wealth is going down and down.

Mm-hmm. Because of inflation, they can afford less and less, and it's a huge problem in America that I think. It's somewhat invisible and people don't really realize the scale of it. 

Jeff Holden: And we do see, this is one of those invisible things. 'cause your neighbor could be food insecure, but they can pay their mortgage, they can pay their car, they can pay the gas.

They can't afford food or medicine. And we don't see that because they're going to work every day to do what they do because that's. That's it. That's all they get. And so they have to suffer a consequence someplace. And it tends to be food sometimes. 

Amber Stott: Oh yeah. That's the first place people tend to come back.

Right. Because they maybe can't skip those medications or 

Jeff Holden: Right. 

Amber Stott: That transportation to get to work 

Jeff Holden: [00:37:00] that even worse. Mm-hmm. So you've got the entire cooking experience, let's call it. What would it look like? What's the next thing? What is that vision of what you could do? 

Amber Stott: So we have a plan right now. Of 

Jeff Holden: course you do.

Why am I not surprised? 

Amber Stott: Our goal is to double the number of schools we are in by 2027. 

Jeff Holden: So from 23 to 40 something. 

Amber Stott: So I started this in 2025 when we were in 20 schools. This year will be in 23. We wanna be in 40 by 2027. Wow. And the reason for this is because of that KS shaped economy and the need and demand growing.

Mm-hmm. And. We have incrementally grown by two or three schools a year, and it's time to lean in and get to kick it up a little more. Exactly. Mm-hmm. So we need to get to more students as quickly as we can because the need is there. So. 

Jeff Holden: And that's a very simple one because you've got a proven track record with experience in the 2023 schools today.

You see the demand. [00:38:00] You see the favorable reply and response, not only from the students themselves, but the students, the parents, the teachers, the principals, the school system is now saying yes. So it's just a matter of being able to scale, to do it, to offset. On the other end, which would be, you know, the funding for it, hence, here's your blank check go.

Amber Stott: Yes. Yeah. And we know we can scale because we have been. 

Jeff Holden: Yes. 

Amber Stott: And so now we wanna try to scale quicker and faster, obviously measuring and and tracking as we go, because we don't wanna lose program quality. Mm-hmm. We still want that 94% of kids who are willing and excited to taste a new fruit or vegetable in every program, for example.

We will continue to monitor that. Then once 2027 happens, obviously we're not gonna stop there. There are 40 Title One elementary schools in Sac City Unified alone. We also serve Serve Robla School District. Mm-hmm. We also serve Washington School District, and we have sites on Natomas Twin Rivers. So we've been getting a [00:39:00] request from all those school districts all along, and I can imagine haven't been able to meet the need, so, so that's our goal is to.

Practice with this big doubling and then hope that we can go beyond and then beyond that. Sure. I don't wanna scale forever because I do think we would start to lose program quality. So my, my dream beyond that is that. In 2013, I developed something called the Food Literacy Academy because I was the only person running the nonprofit and we did not have any staff.

And so I heavily relied on volunteers to actually deliver the program with me. Mm-hmm. And going back to the libraries piece, so it, I had 15. People in this, I called it the Food Literacy Academy, where I trained people to be certified food geniuses. Hence why I am the chief food genius. Of course. There we go.

And so in that program, the requirement was you apply, you get to go through this program for free, and then in order to like maintain your certification, [00:40:00] you would deliver X number of hours of food literacy in our community through us. Mm-hmm. And so the library that. Summer had like a, a summer reading theme that had to do with food.

So they contacted me, they said, Hey, we want you to come do these classes throughout our library system. So I sent them like, here, okay, here's some ideas. They came back and they wanted something like 50 programs. Again, it's just me. 

Jeff Holden: I was just gonna say, yeah, there's only one of us 

Amber Stott: and these 15 volunteers.

So I said to the volunteers, I said, I would like you guys to only sign up for what you know you can commit to because there isn't a sub. Like you can't call in sick. Right, right. And so only sign up what you can commit to. And I'll tell the re I'll tell the library like the rest we can't do. They signed up for every single program, of 

Jeff Holden: course, 

Amber Stott: and then when one of 'em had a conflict or got sick, they called each other.

And with those amazing 15 volunteers, that's how Foods Literacy Center really was able to [00:41:00] scale in the first place. Now, obviously I have the one paid instructor in each school, but ultimately I would like to take that Food Literacy Academy model. And train food geniuses in other communities. There you go.

So that we can hopefully reach beyond, but we aren't the ones delivering the program because say Iowa wanted a program like this, right? The recipes are gonna be different. The food's gonna be different. The culture's gonna be different. Mm-hmm. So I want other communities to be able to take what we have in our model, but adapt it for what works in their own community.

Jeff Holden: So that's a, 

Amber Stott: that's the 

Jeff Holden: dream and that's a beautiful vision because we can see that and we can see the benefit in those communities based on what you're doing here. Into all those other, every market has these schools and these neighborhood systems that need the attention and the help for the students.

Yes. That that's a given. We just know that. And some much more than others. 

Amber Stott: Yes. 

Jeff Holden: So back to reality today, what is the greatest need? 

Amber Stott: Yeah, it's not just one, obviously funding always, but volunteers. [00:42:00] 

Jeff Holden: Okay. 

Amber Stott: Mm-hmm. Yeah. 

Jeff Holden: And it's funny you say that because we did talk about the DI difficulty now with volunteers.

That's coming up more and more in these conversations. Even some organizations that are perfectly well funded. Mm-hmm. They said, we need people. Mm-hmm. We need, we need the help. We need to get others that can, you know, support us. 'cause we just can't obviously make them staff, but. The opportunity for volunteers has changed.

Amber Stott: Yes. 

Jeff Holden: And we have to figure that out, right? 

Amber Stott: Yes, we do. 

Jeff Holden: How about impact? You have a pretty good metric of identifying the performance you've made in the schools. 

Amber Stott: Yes. 

Jeff Holden: Tell us a little bit about that. 'cause it's always a big question for people. 

Amber Stott: Yeah. We actually developed an evaluation tool. One of the very first things we did when I was starting the nonprofit, because I have only ever worked in the nonprofit sector and I knew we were gonna want to.

Measure and 

Jeff Holden: improve, 

Amber Stott: and then also use that data to improve. 

Jeff Holden: Yes. 

Amber Stott: Right. So not only do funders wanna hear it, but we want it so that we can look at, oh, is [00:43:00] this working? Is this not working? Mm-hmm. If I see that 94% number change, what is different? What's causing that? So we are basically, when you're trying to create behavior change, you wanna look at three things.

You first need to improve knowledge. Second, and that's the biggie is attitude. 

Darrell Teat: Mm-hmm. 

Amber Stott: And then behavior follows. We saw this in COVID, right? So when you have those three things in place, hence the methodology that we use, you can get to that behavior change. So that's, we're trying to measure for those three things.

And so we can check our kids' knowledge pretty quickly. We can ask little questions in our program. Every day, how does fiber work in your body? Or what type of sugar does oatmeal have? Or those kinds of questions and see if they're retaining what they've learned. And on an evaluation side, we are trying to.

Get to those behaviors, right? So one of those behaviors is are they eating or exploring and tasting those fruits and vegetables? Mm-hmm. So that's our 94%. We're physically check checking on the attendance roster, yes or no? [00:44:00] Did they eat the vegetable or fruit today that we had? And then we also say to kids.

Part of our curriculum is we want them to eat a fruit or vegetable with every snack and meal. And this is because who knows how many servings a bowl of chili is or a burrito is? Mm-hmm. Or even that apple, was that half a serving or was it two serving? I don't know. Was my apple? Which size was my apple?

Jeff Holden: Yeah. How big was that Apple? 

Amber Stott: Yeah. Too complicated. So we just say. Eat a fruit or vegetable with every snack and meal because then what are you doing? You are building repeatable behaviors. Mm-hmm. Which lead to long-term habits. Right. So and so we ask kids, should you eat a fruit or vegetable with every snack and meal?

And we have that as part of our evaluation as well. And about 83% of kids tell us, yes, you should have a fruit or vegetable with every snack and meal. So, so 

Jeff Holden: you have a demonstrable. Performance that they get it, they know it. And you can see it when you feed it to them. In the school. In the classroom, 

Amber Stott: yes.

And then in our, at Tata Floyd, where we have this [00:45:00] cooking school next door, we are measuring their science and their health academic performance. And we had a goal that we wanted, I think 50% of the kids scoring 75% or higher. And we had a class that had a hundred percent of the kids scoring 92% in their size.

Oh my gosh. Yes, so we were so proud and the kids actually asked us if we could make it harder. And I remember when the garden instructor had given me those lessons at the start of the year, I remember saying to her, this vocabulary is really high because normally our students have low literacy rates. I was like, are you certain you're going to use these words?

Like she was using abiotic, an biotic, and all these big words, and she said, I feel confident that the students. Or at this level. And I said, okay, I trust you. You've been our garden teacher since the pandemic ended, and you've had those students since the pandemic ended. And yeah, sure enough, they scored 92% on their [00:46:00] science grades and want us to make the curriculum a bit harder.

Jeff Holden: Wasn't, wasn't there a program or something? Are you smarter than a third grader or something like that? Yeah. Do you remember something like that? Yeah. I'm thinking I would fail this. 

Amber Stott: Yes. 

Jeff Holden: Yeah. Look at my producer here. We do not eat a fruit and a vegetable after. 

Amber Stott: Oh, 

Jeff Holden: everything we do, I can promise you that.

Amber Stott: Yeah. 

Jeff Holden: I think we have to start to change. 'cause these kids are gonna be healthier than, you know, we who profess to be. That is 

Amber Stott: our goal. Yeah. Right. Because this generation of kids, statistically, is not supposed to live as long as their parents. Right. So we that we definitely want them to live longer than us.

Jeff Holden: Yeah. That, that's right. That's horrific to think 

Amber Stott: Yes. 

Jeff Holden: That their lifespan is gonna be shorter than ours. Yes. There's just no excuse for that. Not in this country. 

Amber Stott: It's a first time in history, in recent history. 

Jeff Holden: Correct. At least measured history, right? 

Amber Stott: Yes. 

Jeff Holden: So as a nonprofit leader, you have a lot of responsibility.

You take it very serious. I can see that. And, and you're passionate about everything that's going into these kids' mouths. How do you get away from that a little bit for a break or relax? What is [00:47:00] it that Amber Stot does too? Just pull away a little bit. 

Amber Stott: This year I ran a 10 mile race with, 

Jeff Holden: ah, good for you, 

Amber Stott: Harley.

A mini donkey. So I like to do a lot of trail running, running in the mountains and through the forest. And friend of mine said, oh, I have a friend who did a race like that in the desert with a donkey. And I said, how do I sign up? But I will say that I am thinking about. Solutions and what's next at Food Literacy Center?

Sure. It never, while I am on the road, never 

Jeff Holden: stops, does it? 

Amber Stott: No, it does not. 

Jeff Holden: At least you get that healthful benefit of, of the exercise. And I have to ask, how fast can a donkey go? 

Amber Stott: This little guy was very naughty and so he went from like running a six minute mile. 

Jeff Holden: He was, that's pretty fast 

Amber Stott: for about 50 feet.

Jeff Holden: Oh, got it. 

Amber Stott: Before he saw a flower. Wanted to sniff it and then walked most of the 10 [00:48:00] miles slower than I walked to like my car Uhhuh. It was a very, it was a very pleasant flower sniffing stroll. 

Jeff Holden: Oh, there you go. 

Amber Stott: He was very cute. So I got a lot of good photos of him. 

Jeff Holden: Oh, I can only imagine. How fun. Where were you?

What part of the country or state? State, country. Where were you? 

Amber Stott: On the eastern side of the Sierras. 

Jeff Holden: Okay. 

Amber Stott: Down in the desert. Yeah. Super interesting. It was really fun though. 

Jeff Holden: I can only imagine. 

Amber Stott: Yes, 

Jeff Holden: I can only imagine. 

Amber Stott: And there were so many different donkeys. It was really cool and fun. 

Jeff Holden: Oh, oh, it's not like you were.

One at a time. This is was one, there was a bunch of people out there walking with donkeys across the desert for 10 miles. 

Amber Stott: It was called Run With the Burrows. 

Jeff Holden: Yep. Oh my gosh. 

Amber Stott: Yep. But I did not win the prize for being the last donkey to cross the fan. Oh, okay. I thought for sure I would be, but I was not.

Jeff Holden: Wow. How fun is that? 

Amber Stott: Yeah, it was fun. 

Jeff Holden: What's the best way to learn more about the organization? 

Amber Stott: Our website, food literacy center.org. [00:49:00] 

Jeff Holden: How does one become a food literati? That's what I wanna know. 'cause I saw that and I thought that was such cute wording. 

Amber Stott: Thank you. Yeah, so, so you know, we work with food and so we hear the term foodie a lot.

Uhhuh, and I was like, we have to come up with a different. Term for the people that are part of Food Literacy Center, because this goes beyond eating the food. Being a food literati is about wanting to change the food system. And so that's how I developed that term. Yeah. And so yeah, you can just make a donation and become a food literati.

Jeff Holden: I love it. I love it. That's exclusive to this category, to this organization. Period. Nobody else has that. Yes, they have donors and contributors and philanthropic minded people. You have food literati. 

Amber Stott: Exactly. 

Jeff Holden: Well, I have to say, I thought I was a. Food wise person. Yeah. Until I started digging in your website and I'm like, oh my gosh.

I have, there's a lot of things and we've had other organizations on that you work with Soilborne Farms [00:50:00] and Sean in here and I'm thinking, man, that stuff, I just don't know what I think. I know. I know what's healthy for me and should eat more of, but not really. And and back in the day, it was in third grade and I was a Weight Watchers kid.

Amber Stott: Hmm. 

Jeff Holden: Thank goodness my mom said. Dude, you're eating too much of something and it's not right. And they had that program that really taught you how to eat well. 

Amber Stott: Mm-hmm. 

Jeff Holden: And it helped, you know, it, it slimmed me down a little bit from a husky to a, you know, an average, I guess. And so many people have no idea, especially if we're adults at this stage of the game.

You are now teaching their children and the most vulnerable children 

Amber Stott: and 

Jeff Holden: that's who, who need it. 

Amber Stott: Yes. And that's why I started Food Literacy Center is that I was reading all those books and I thought, and I completely, my whole worldview shifted. Yeah. In such a way that it changed the course of. My career, right?

And I remember thinking to myself like, I have just spent all of my weekends and [00:51:00] evenings reading essentially a PhD's worth of books here, right? And what normal human is going to do this, and you have to eat three times a day. So how in the world do you go to the grocery store and make a decision? When this stuff isn't even taught in schools, 

Jeff Holden: right.

Amber Stott: It's not fair. And so that was a huge driver of me trying to find where is the gap that I can plug so that we can get this information out there and make it easy to digest. 

Jeff Holden: Yeah, and you've done a brilliant job. You're doing this by yourself, I mean from its origin, and I don't mean by yourself. You have your volunteers and your team and your staff and all that, but I mean, it's.

The food literacy center here in Sacramento, and I'm sure there may be a few others around the country that you're starting to recognize popping up, but as much as we've harped and pushed and tried to demonstrate the value of financial literacy, yeah, that's good. But if you don't eat, mm-hmm. If you don't have a good understanding of the food, which is the very basic [00:52:00] need to get to.

A necessity of financial literacy. You're not gonna have to worry about it. 

Amber Stott: I worked at Women's Empowerment for a while. 

Jeff Holden: Yes. 

Amber Stott: And it's a job training program where they help homeless women get jobs, right? Mm-hmm. And so a lot of career type, you know, resume writing, what to wear to an interview, all that kind of stuff.

Then on Fridays there's a cooking class, huh? And I said to Lisa Culp, the founder, I said, why a cooking class, Lisa? That doesn't make sense. Like all this stuff is about your job. And she said, if you're not healthy, you're gonna miss work and you're gonna end up homeless again. And that really stuck with me.

And on the days that our students have food literacy class, we have the population that we serve. You see very high rates of absenteeism and tardiness on the days that we have food literacy class. Rates of tardy go down and absenteeism goes down. So kids want to participate in food literacy classes.

Jeff Holden: You're one of the few people that I've seen [00:53:00] to the degree of passion in living and, you know, walking the walk, talking. So I, if I'm not mistaken, are those lemon earrings you're wearing? Yes. Yeah. Thoughts For those of you who aren't watching on the, uh, the YouTube channel, she has lemon slices, you know, as, as earrings.

I, I think that's wonderful and what you're doing, and for the benefit of so many children who become adults who pass that then onto their children, to educate them about healthy eating and sustainability, life sustainability is so, so valuable. So thank you for what you do. 

Amber Stott: Thank you for having me. Thanks for letting me share.

Jeff Holden: Oh, it's been fun. 

Amber Stott: Thank you. 

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