Operation Frontline Volunteer Spotlight

Ellen Damaschino, 2008 Hall of Fame Volunteer:
Changing Habits, Changing Lives

Meet Ellen Damaschino. She's a Chef Instructor with Operation Frontline's program at The Oregon Food Bank, where, since 2003, she has been teaching men in treatment for chemical dependency. She fills her classes with contagious enthusiasm and creative approaches that get results, yet she says she learns as much from her students as they learn from her. In 2008, Ellen was inducted into Operation Frontline's Hall of Fame, an elite group of 35 culinary and nutrition instructors who have demonstrated their exceptional commitment by leading at least 15 class series.

Share Our Strength: Tell us about the classes you're teaching—anything new in the lessons?

Ellen: I always teach men who are currently in treatment at DuPaul Treatment Center so my classes are a little different than the norm--there are no take-home grocery bags like there are in other Operation Frontline classes, for example. I've noticed recently an interest in stretching food dollars. Previously, students hadn't specifically asked for skills to stretch food dollars, but now they really want to know, in these times, "how can I shop smart?"

Share Our Strength: Can you share some of your creative teaching techniques? Ones that really get the students involved, that they really enjoy?

Ellen: I always have a "Mystery Food" in each class. I bring in a fruit or vegetable that's in season and probably not a typical food that my students are used to eating. I uncover it on the table and give them an opportunity to guess what it is. Then we talk about why it's important nutritionally and how to cut or prepare it in a dish. This empowers my guys so that the next time they go to the store, they won't shy away from buying something just because they don't know what it is. Some of my favorite mystery foods include jicama (a root vegetable), rutabaga, mango, pineapple, pomegranate, kiwi, etc. I try to coordinate what's on sale at the grocery store with what my mystery fruit will be so that they're more inclined to purchase it.

I often do a whole budgeting activity where I break the students into groups and give them each a stack of supermarket ads. Each group has to put together a full meal with a protein, vegetable, grain, etc. Then, my shopper, lead assistant and I act as the judges to decide which group has put together the best meal. The winning group gets to eat first at the end of class! I really love this activity because it helps inspire creativity and gets the students more comfortable with using the supermarket circulars.

Share Our Strength: What is your most memorable Operation Frontline experience?

Ellen: I have two especially memorable moments. The first time I brought my guys out to the garden we took a big bowl with us and made a fresh salad from all the veggies we picked. It was such an "ah ha!" moment for these guys, many of whom had never been in a garden and had lived in urban settings all their lives.

During the last class I taught, we tried an 'Iron Chef' competition. The students had two hours worth of class time on the last day to come up with a meal using a whole chicken, canned or fresh vegetables, beans, oats, honey, etc. Once they started moving, they were shocked at what they had learned in just six weeks. One team even made cookies with no recipe. And these were men who had never cooked a meal from scratch in their lives! That's when I know I've done my job. My job is to transfer my skills to them, so that on the last day, I have a clean knife and a clean cutting board.

Share Our Strength: Why, after six years, are you still teaching Operation Frontline courses?

Ellen: Operation Frontline keeps me cooking once a week even though I have moved away from the restaurant business. It keeps me tied to something both local (Oregon Food Bank) and national (Operation Frontline).

I also love that it's setting a great example for my kids. They love coming to class--my teenage daughter has even started to work for St. Vincent DuPaul's mobile kitchen. It helps keep me grounded and puts my daily stresses in perspective when I'm in the classroom.

Share Our Strength: What do you tell people about Operation Frontline?

Ellen: I always tell people that Operation Frontline is not the band-aid on the problem. If you want to help at the grassroots level, Operation Frontline is the way to go. I feel like I have learned from my students so much--and am continuing to learn from them even after six years of teaching. My growth is always as great as my students' growth and I find that inspiring.

Just think of how much has changed in the food world in the past few years with this emphasis on eating locally and sustainably and increased knowledge of food ingredients. I can talk about these things in class now and people know what I'm talking about. It's great.