Since 1991 Rose Padilla Johnson has led Davis Street Community Center, Inc., in San Leandro, California, as chief executive officer. In this position, Rose Padilla Johnson oversees an array of community services, including nutritional cooking classes, directed at the most underserved populations of San Leandro and its surrounding areas. The cooking classes offered by Davis Street Community Center are broken into two key segments. Families begin by learning how to budget for, shop for, and prepare healthy meals, including foods with cultural significance. Cooking classes are led by professional nutritionists in the ultramodern Demonstration Kitchen and may be delivered in Spanish, Cantonese, or English.Following cooking lessons, participants are immediately paired with a wellness coach who emphasizes the importance of a balanced diet and identifies life strategies that can help families maintain healthy eating habits. These personalized consultations can address specific living situations, such as preparing meals for adults or children living with diabetes. Nutritional cooking classes are open to all Davis Street clients, particularly those coming from low-income communities of color and people who have recently immigrated.
Rose Padilla Johnson has led Davis Street Community Center, Inc., in San Leandro, California, as chief executive officer since 1991. Under the guidance of Rose Padilla Johnson, the Alameda County community services sector hosts a variety of programs, including nutritional cooking classes for residents of San Leandro and the surrounding areas.Held in a state-of-the-art demonstration kitchen, Davis Street cooking classes are led by a professional nutritionist who teaches individuals and families not just about cooking techniques and food preparation, but also how to establish and maintain a healthy, well-rounded diet. Perhaps most importantly, nutritional cooking classes are conducted with affordability and cultural relevance in mind.Instances of hands-on training are paired with tips on how to find quality ingredients and healthy alternatives at the local grocery store. Davis Street also provides information regarding relevant services maintained by nearby food pantries, several of which donate grocery bags and food to the program. Finally, lessons offered by the nutritionist are later emphasized by a wellness coach. The wellness coach helps participants identify and follow through on lifestyle changes that can reduce the health risks associated with obesity and elevate a person’s overall level of health.
