FISH of SanCap recently kicked off the AngelFISH Kitchen project with its first senior cooking class, followed by a family class, launching a new effort centered on healthy, simple meals at home.
The AngelFISH Kitchen is a project of the AngelFISH Society, a philanthropic group of women who combine friendship, education, and collective giving to support meaningful work in the community. Guided by the AngelFISH Committee and chaired by Linda Uhler, the group pools its annual contributions to fund a project that addresses urgent local needs while also strengthening the FISH Foundation.
This year’s focus is on healthy eating and accomplished by providing air fryer ovens to local seniors and families, along with nutrition classes that teach participants how to use the appliance. The goal is to help neighbors prepare healthy, budget-friendly meals at home without feeling overwhelmed.
Classes are led by Maggie Hurd, a dietician with Lee Health, and are designed to be welcoming and easy to follow. Participants learn tips for healthy eating, watch live cooking demonstrations using the air fryer/convection oven, discover simple recipes that help stretch a grocery budget, and receive ingredients to recreate the meals at home. Ingredients are provided in a custom-designed AngelFISH Kitchen canvas tote.
“The response was overwhelmingly positive,” said Linda Uhler, AngelFISH Committee Chair. “There were lots of good questions and interaction with Salli Kirkland, who demonstrated use of the appliance, and Maggie Hurd about food and the air fryer/oven. I think we helped to open the door for more healthy cooking at home.”
Beyond the recipes, the classes are about building confidence. Many seniors are cooking for one. Many families are juggling work, school, and rising grocery costs. The air fryer oven offers a simple way to prepare fresh meals without multiple pots and pans or complicated steps.
Said one participant from the senior cooking class, “This is a gamechanger for me. The class was so informative and fun! I am looking forward to trying new recipes and once I am good at it I can have my neighbors over, they will think I hired a private chef. Thank you AngelFISH.”
A parent who attended the family class shared, “This made cooking feel easy again. Between work and the kids, meals can feel overwhelming, but this gave us simple ideas we can actually use.”
The series continues in the coming weeks with classes for seniors on select Thursdays at St. Michael and All Angels Episcopal Church and classes for families on select Saturdays at the Sanibel Community Church. FISH and the AngelFISH Society thank both venues for generously providing space for the program.
Through the AngelFISH Kitchen, FISH and the AngelFISH Society hope participants leave not only with a new appliance and ingredients, but with the confidence to try something new in their own kitchens — and the understanding that healthy cooking can be simple, affordable, and achievable.
