Cooking School for Emergencies

2022 NACo Achievement Award Winner

Hidalgo County, Texas, TX

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About the Program

Category: Civic Education and Public Information (Best in Category)

Year: 2022

As Hidalgo County faced two major disasters in 2020, the Covid-19 pandemic and Hurricane Hanna, along with an unprecedented winter freeze in 2021, it demonstrated how many residents were unprepared for such events. Taking into consideration that Hidalgo County is prone to severe weather conditions, Hidalgo County Judge Richard F. Cortez identified a need for emergency disaster preparedness within the community. Working closely with community leaders and county departments, the Cooking School for Emergencies program was put into action; its purpose was to educate families about preparing nutritious meals without electricity or water and plan for emergencies. The program includes two live food demonstrations, a recipe book, and a start-up disaster preparedness kit with presentations covering emergency preparedness, food, and fire safety. The overall goal of the program is to capture the audience’s attention with fun demonstrations while building resiliency and readiness among the community. It has received positive feedback from the community and those attending expressed willingness in creating a disaster plan and an emergency kit.

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