Restaurant Revisited: Horton’s Kids by Sara Levine in Shows, June 13th, 2012
In a special episode of Restaurant: Impossible, Robert Irvine faced his toughest challenge yet when First Lady Michelle Obama assigned him the task of rebuilding Horton’s Kids, a children’s community center that provides many services such as serving after-school meals in one of Washington, D.C.’s neediest neighborhoods. Mrs. Obama gave Robert three missions: Give Horton’s Kids a dining room, update their kitchen and create a community garden for them.
A few months after Robert’s Restaurant: Impossible-style transformation of Horton’s Kids, we checked in with Executive Director Brenda Chamberlain to see how the organization is doing. “Everyone loves and is impressed with the new, transformed Horton’s Kids!” says Brenda. “The vibrant space establishes a sense of community for the children.”
The brand-new kitchen and dining area have enabled Horton’s Kids to run cooking classes and hands-on nutrition programs more effectively. “During a recent class, we had kids sautéing vegetables, making omelets on the stovetop and blending fruit smoothies — all simultaneously,” says Brenda.
The dining/all-purpose room allows kids to sit down and share their meals together. Thanks to the collapsible tables and hang-able chairs, staff and volunteers have flexibility to arrange the space to meet the needs of various programs outside of meal times. The children love having a nice indoor space where they can hang out, chat with their friends and do homework. The computer lab that Microsoft donated has helped to bridge the technical divide often found in the Horton’s Kids community.
In the garden, early summer vegetables are growing nicely. Horton’s Kids has started a children’s gardening club: “Kids are taking great pride in the garden,” says Brenda. The irrigation bike has proven to be a fun, creative way to engage the children in gardening, and they’re enjoying it “tremendously.”
After hearing the First Lady talk about the importance of eating fruits and vegetables, the children are getting more adventurous and trying new kinds of produce. “They also enjoy knowing that they are growing vegetables and herbs they can eat,” Brenda says. In an upcoming class, the kids will be using the fresh basil to make pesto.
The future looks bright for Horton’s Kids: “With the help of our amazing volunteers and donors, the new space will soon allow us to serve many more children.”
To find out how you can make a difference in the lives of these children, visit www.hortonskids.org.
For a closer look at the transformation of Horton’s Kids, check out our photo gallery of Robert’s mission from the White House.
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More posts from Sara Levine.
Instead of bringing the kids in and teaching them about nutrition,etc. I think the parents are the ones who should be brought in and shown how to budget and provide menus and teach cooking to them.Most of the parents either don't know how to cook or are too lazy to do it.Maybe some just don't know so they must be taught.Let them become accountable for their own children and households.If govt. assistance is involved then it should be earned.
I agree completely with having the parents taught alongside their children. I also agree with the idea that if their is govt. assitance, then it should be earned.
My heart breaks for all those that gave their lives to make us free. America really has degenerated into a sad, divided, shadow of it's former self. Nothing is positive unless your party came up with the idea. Respect for the office only exists if the person you voted for holds it. No other show in this fun series has generated PAGES of comment and the level of hatred in some are simply astonishing. Anyone who saw this TELEVISION SHOW as anything other than entertainment that spotlighted an effort to make the lives of a few American children better needs to look into their souls and ask themselves why. Shame on you all.
I cannot believe the hate in some of these comments. Really? Keep it to yourself, no one wants to hear your rants. I cannot believe these are Americans talking about other Americans, no wonder the rest of the world thinks so poorly of us. I bet most of the horrible comments were left by people that go to church every Sunday and claim to be Christians. Disgusting.
I sure hope not….I know that true Christians would not comment like that…God tells us to help the poor. I know that sometimes even poor people are poor because they mismanage their money so it give the really poor people a bad name. But just the same I would still feed anyone that didn't have food to eat.
people who says the phone was not a prepaid, their cheaper than buying vegies. Ten buckes buyes you a phone, and eating at fast food is very cheap and unhealthy. i work at a store and sometimes those food stampes don't last long against a five dollar vegetable. SO GIVE THEM A BREAK!!
I just can´t be quite anymore when I hear these "haters" in america. I hear a lot of bull from people
that are ready to throw america overboard by their own lack of lojalty. In short, you have a elected a guy, that seems to be likeable by so many of you americans, so support him.
You are very quick in america to talk about God and religion and at the same time you betray your own team (USA). I hear this bullshit about welfare that is so very bad…… I live in a country that care for it´s people and I live in a country that fights every day to support it´s own people……. continue..
Gregor
continue….
In america amongst these haters, the only thing that is good is when people cannot support themselfs, just let them die….. to help them is bad. I get sick in my stomach when i hear all that crap that comes from ignorant people that contribute by almost nothing more than giving the team problem……
Buuuu is the word tofay to these people. and for the rest of the americans, stand united and never doubt that it can never go wrong by taking care of eachother…….
I, a swedish guy, congratulate you guys for having a very respectful and liked president. Obama is over here in Europe considered to be one of the absolutely best that you have ever had…..
Gregor
Tell you what genius, if you want to see what sort of person you think is "one of the absolute best" then why don't you try to come over here legally and work for a little while. Then you can see whats changed for this option for you in the past 4 years. I advise you that it is easier these days to come over illegally. I take it that you have never actually been here and you are basing your opinion on comparing the little you know about your own government and the little you know about my government. You also know nothing of political history or any other history of great empires that have fallen due to blind faith and following of leaders with personal agendas.
Shouldn't you be focused on your own disasters instead of worrying about mine? Your economy is doing pretty good seeing how your country can actually still produce things that can be exported but your health care stinks. Maybe if Americans were not doing all they can to depend on the government to support them then we could actually make something here that people outside of America would buy. The only thing we have more of today than we had four years ago is higher unemployment, more people on welfare and food stamps, we are now on the verge of at least one more war if not more, and the biggest increase in national debt in our history and nothing is being done to change these things.
Not all of us in America are dancing around our rooms in clogs while listening to Dancing Queen and living free thanks to our government checks.
Interesting comments, all of them. Good thing we have freedom of speech in this country, and even for those folks who commented from other countries. I'm so happy to be living in this country (only 2nd generation USA born – my original family came from Finland, a people who help when needed and that's how I was raised.
For the comment from the person who thought we don't have the brain to figure out whether it's entertainment or not – of course it is. We're not ignorant. And let's get over this political stuff and accept people for whom they are as humans. I think this was a very thought-provoking segment which is giving me a lot of ideas.
However, I also need to say that I started working in our small town family business when I was 13, was a National Merit Scholar, did a BA, MA & PhD (no student loans & 4 point GPA & held more than 1 job at a time throughout my education) and was a lifetime educator for birth through Elderhostel – now I'm 65 and I do volunteer work.
Guest Part 2 : I do believe that we all have a responsibility to each other, and to the children in our life and times. We can't walk in another person's shoes and make their decisions for them. I thought that the wisest comments in these postings that I read were from the 'guest' nutrition person who (as of today) wrote in 11 weeks ago. Good for you.
Am also attaching a link to a video that a friend gave me that was done concurrently around the world – gives me hope that we may all come together someday. If you want to see it, you'll have to copy & paste, but it's worth it. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Us-TVg40ExM&fe…
If you can't access it, write back & I'll figure out a better way to send it.
it would be great if we all could come together but there will always be close minded idiots like this dude that just needs Jesus and with Jesus maybe he wont be so miserable and mad because a child is being helped so sad lets all just pray for him and others like him and spread love not hate
I absolutely loved the video! However, what it really has to do with Restaurant Impossible isn't clear. Isn't this forum meant to be a place where people comment on Robert's show and not on the "Guest Hosts" etc. that are spotlighted? Other celebrities do "good deeds" all of the time and are not considered to be politically motivated. Even though some of their good intentions are misguided, helping other people is never wrong when it benefits society as a whole. Perhaps other struggling people get some tips from the advice that Robert and his guests put out there. I'm just sayin…
I'm Canadian and I watch the division of America into have nots and haves and wonder how such a rich nation is becoming a house divided. If this keeps up I can foresee serious social unrest in the future that will make the sixties civil riots look like a dust up.
I'm shocked by some of the sentiments expressed here about not wanting to help poor children at the community level. America is a strange society that from here looks more alien than any alien planet I've ever seen in the movies. If I wrote a story about such a place no one would ever believe it.
As an American, I am appalled that there are so many people who have turned this episode into a political issue. Regardless of which party Mrs. Obama represents, what person his right mind would think that her efforts were politically motivated? I am so sick of hearing people condemn the efforts of those who are trying to make our country a better, more healthy society. Yes, parents should be responsible for thier children's welfare, but they have to be taught HOW to do that before it can happen. If everyone had parents like mine, this would be a non-issue. Unfortunately, that isn't the case. Many parents don't have the resources or the knowledge to take care of their children on their own. It doesn't matter WHY that is true, but it is the reality. We can't continue to cry over spilled milk. We have to do everything that we can to educate our society so that all of us succeed. As the saying goes, "It takes a village to raise a child" and we, as a nation, need to stop being so selfish and get in there and do something instead of criticizing others' efforts.