Novi Woman Teaches Cooking to Low-Income Families

Ina Cheatem, 37, of Novi, knows what it's like to struggle to feed a family.

"It’s very hard to stretch 5 bucks for two weeks if that’s all you have," she said.

When Cheatem moved to the U.S. from Germany several years ago, she and her ex-husband dealt with food insecurity and the challenge of feeding their children.

Now she is a chef instructor with Gleaners Community Food Bank teaching cooking classes in low-income communities, often to single mothers and people on food stamps, through Cooking Matters.

"I had a little bit of a culinary education years ago in Germany, and cooking has always been a huge hobby of mine," she said.

She started as an instructor with Cooking Matters, a national program that focuses on ending childhood hunger in America, about two years ago, she said.

"I just really wanted to apply my love for eating and cooking knowledge in a different manner. Now with Cooking Matters, I can actually pass on some of my knowledge to others," she said.

The classes Cheatem teaches are six-week courses with two-hour long sessions each week. She said she loves knowing that the students can directly apply what they're learning in class.

Participants also learn practical nutrition information and how to shop strategically to prepare healthy meals on a budget. When Cheatem moved to Michigan in 2005, she said she no longer had to worry about feeding her children on "no budget."

"I had my own experience with poverty and food insecurity. That was another reason why I wanted to give back," she said.

Most of her classes are in Detroit, she said, but any organization can ask Gleaners about sponsoring the classes as long as the community has enough people who qualify for food stamps.

"I think it’s a really great way for people who are on a limited to budget to learn easy and healthy recipes," she said. "A lot of people just don’t know how to cook, because they're used to eating fast food, which is accessible and cheap in America."