2018 August PASO Magazine

PASO PEOPLE
The Wellness Kitchen
HEALING FOOD & HELPING HEARTS
By Heather Young
The Wellness Kitchen, 1255 Las Tablas
Road in Templeton, has been helping
people treat illness through food. The
nonprofit not only provided therapeutic foods,
but also provides education for prevention and
continued wellness.
Since its beginning, the nonprofit has grown.
The most recent growth has been founder and
executive director Nancy Walker stepping
aside so she could focus on education.
The change has a been couple of years coming,
Walker said.
“I kept thinking, ‘this needs to go to the next
step,’” she said. “I knew my skills were not in
the fundraising and getting us in the public eye.
I’d rather be in the kitchen.”
Gena Grieb began as the nonprofit’s executive
director on May 28, Memorial Day.
“I’ve always enjoyed working for nonprofits because
[I want] to make a difference,” Grieb said.
Once Grieb has been fully transitioned to
executive director, the kitchen is where Walker
will be. Her new title is founder, visionary and
therapeutic chef.
“Knowing I need to step aside, I wanted to
bring in someone strong and a strong board,”
Walker said.
While Grieb is getting settled in and jumping
into fundraising and marketing the nonprofit
that many people have not heard about.
“It’s not difficult for me [to promote the Wellness
Kitchen] because I emphasize the importance
of what we do,” Grieb said. “This is how
we’re making a difference in [people’s] lives.”
Walker is a trained chef, having attended
The Arts Institute of Phoenix and then Bauman
College, which focuses on teaching holistic
nutrition and culinary arts. At Bauman
College, Walker learned how to cook with love
and healing intention and how important sunshine,
water and dirt are to the food people eat.
The Wellness Kitchen already offers a wide
range of education, and Walker wants to continue
to expand and is already working on a
diabetes educational program with half-hour
instructional lessons and the rest of the time
will focus on hands-on learning. Those in attendance
will go home with prepared meals.
Nancy Walker and Gena Grieb
For more information about the
Wellness Kitchen, to volunteer or
donate, go to TheWKRC.org or call
805-434-1800.
The Wellness Kitchen is open Monday
through Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
and until 6 p.m. on Wednesday.
Evan Vossler
24 | pasomagazine.com PASO Magazine, August 2018