United Way California Capital Region certified nonprofit partner Koinonia receives grant from Herbalife to upgrade nutrition program and teaching kitchen. Foster youth at Koinonia Homes for Teens will have an upgraded teaching kitchen, healthier meals and better therapy for eating disorders, thanks to a $50,000 grant from Herbalife Family Foundation.

“We’re working with teens in foster care who are getting ready to move out on their own, so we must make sure they have a basic understanding of nutrition and how to cook,” said Bill Ryland, director, Koinonia Homes for Teens. “But many of our teens also deal with eating disorders, so it’s important that they receive therapy, too. By cooking, eating healthy and having a healthy mindset about food, these kids will be better prepared to take care of themselves.”

Most of the ingredients for meals served to kids in Koinonia’s homes are purchased from Costco or donations from local food banks. The group now plans to use the Herbalife grant to purchase fresh vegetables instead of canned vegetables and buy higher quality ingredients. The grant also will help purchase new supplies for the teaching kitchen that Herbalife helped fund in 2011 when it named Koinonia Homes for Teens a Casa Herbalife, one of only seven in the country. The Casa Herbalife program was established in 2005 to provide good nutrition to children in need around the world.

“Becoming a Casa Herbalife has opened the door for ongoing support from the Herbalife Foundation and more than 200 Herbalife independent distributors in the Sacramento area,” Ryland said. “With this grant, Herbalife has empowered us to offer services that go far beyond that of traditional foster care and allow us to really address lifelong issues.” 
Koinonia Homes for Teens, a division of Koinonia Family Services, works with teens in several specialized programs. With six homes located in Placer and Sacramento counties, and a Community School and Treatment Center in Loomis, Koinonia is one of the premiere adolescent substance abuse treatment programs in the state. Each home is staffed with caring professionals that bring a home-like atmosphere and quality treatment during this difficult out-of-home placement. For more information, visit http://teens.kfh.org.

The Herbalife Family Foundation’s Casa Herbalife program provides financial resources and volunteers to nonprofits around the world in the area of healthy nutrition programs for at-risk and low-income children. For more information, visit www.herbalifefamilyfoundation.org.