BWFH experts help the kids at the Italian Home for Children plan a successful bake sale

Manning a table outside the cafeteria at Brigham and Women’s Faulkner Hospital during the lunch rush recently, students from the Italian Home for Children showed off their cooking skills with a bake sale. The two-day sale was made possible by some valuable advice from experts at BWFH on both nutrition and business.

“I love kids, so I was more than happy to help,” says Karen Venezia, BWFH’s Kitchen Supervisor and a mother of five. “We went across the street to visit with the kids and talk to them about what sugar does to our health. We also let them sample cupcakes made with both refined sugar and a banana and honey substitution. It turned out many of the kids preferred the healthier option!”

Nutrition Assistant Brittany Manock taught the section on sugar. “I was really surprised by how engaged the kids were,” she says. “They were all eager to participate and seemed genuinely interested in learning about the different types of sugar and their health effects.”

In addition to tips on preparing items for the bake sale, Venezia shared some valuable advice on retail pricing. “We talked about their goals and the cost of the ingredients and how that helps you determine how much to charge for your product,” she explains.

Two days later, the kids set up shop outside the cafeteria at BWFH to sell their product with great success. “I think a lot of our staff members were excited to meet their neighbors from the Italian Home and support them,” says Venezia.