Veterans Charity Helps Warriors Create Well-Balanced Meals

SAN DIEGO, May 25, 2018 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Injured veterans and their guests learned how to create exquisite cuisine from culinary professionals at the Art Institute of California in San Diego during a class with Wounded Warrior Project^® (WWP).

Warriors and guests learned how to prepare a whole chicken and filet a salmon, as well as prepare a chimichurri sauce, which they used to marinate and dress their choice of protein. The meal also included cilantro rice pilaf, roasted rainbow carrots, and asparagus. Warriors enjoyed camaraderie while dining on their creations.

"I never cook, so I wanted to learn how to cook healthy," said Marine Corps veteran Adrian Powell from San Diego. "I also don't like to be out much and thought it would be nice to take my wife on a cooking date where I could be comfortable with other warriors. My wife was in awe. She said she almost cried watching me smile and laugh in front of the entire class." 

WWP program gatherings offer settings that provide opportunities for injured veterans to form bonds with one another, their families, and their communities. WWP also serves warriors by focusing on mental and physical health and wellness, financial wellness, independence, government relations, and community relations and partnerships.

"The class gave me the confidence to cook and really enjoy the experience with other warriors," Adrian said. "We're meeting up with a couple we met at our table next Saturday, based solely on how much fun we had at this event. Wounded Warrior Project has really opened my eyes to what I'm capable of. They really live the logo, and I don't mind being carried every now and then because everyone gets tired at some point. I always tell my wife that Wounded Warrior Project treats veterans the way veterans want to be treated — like we matter." 

Activities like cooking and socializing with other veterans can help injured warriors cope with stress and emotional concerns. In a WWP survey (https://www.woundedwarriorproject.org/survey) of the injured warriors it serves, more than half of survey respondents (51.6 percent) expressed they talk with fellow veterans to address their mental health issues.

WWP has been connecting, serving, and empowering wounded warriors for 15 years. To learn more, visit http://newsroom.woundedwarriorproject.org.

About Wounded Warrior Project
WWP has been connecting, serving, and empowering wounded warriors for 15 years. To learn more, visit http://newsroom.woundedwarriorproject.org.

SOURCE Wounded Warrior Project