COM0014 Blog # 6 – Do People Know Your Story?

What is your favorite customer story?

My favourite customer story is about Karen, a Grade 1 student who joined Mamaqtuq Nanook Cooking Club last September. I always start the year off with a pizza lesson because it’s a fantastic ice-breaker and almost all kids love to make and eat pizza.

We start the year off by setting ground rules. Karen’s shyness shone like a beacon even during the group discussion. It amplified after we’d washed our hands and gathered at our prep tables. Karen seemed to shrink in size as we went over the steps of pizza preparation, as if she was trying to disappear under the small tables. When I approached Karen, she looked down at her shoes and did not raise her head again, no matter how hard I tried.

I was worried Karen wouldn’t show up to the next class, but she lined up on Friday. I was overjoyed. We made tacos that day, and during the explanation, she managed to look at me a few times. Fleeting eye contact was a major step in the right direction.

As the weeks progressed, Karen gained confidence and began to interact more. She started to laugh and smile and became more comfortable preparing food and eating it. Her mother even sent me a message telling me how much fun she said she was having.

This might seem like a silly story, but it illustrates how our club is reaching kids and teaching them to prepare healthy food. Regardless of previous skill, our kids learn to feed themselves healthy food in a fun environment. When Karen graduates from Grade 5 and leaves our school for new adventures, she will be armed with recipes and skills. That is success.