Bella Cuisine, a 501(c)3 organization, serving communities on the South and West sides of Chicago, began in 2010 as an after-school program to encourage children to make healthy eating a part of their daily lives because the American Academy of Pediatrics warns that “the prevalence of childhood obesity is significantly higher among racial and/or ethnic minority children in the United States,” we provide resources to help these communities make healthy eating a regular part of their daily lives. Our programs focus on encouraging families to prepare balanced meals from fresh ingredients-together.
While sharing meals with hundreds of students we heard a myriad of hopes and dreams as well as struggles. The most common struggle was with school. Many students communicated difficulty focusing, behavior issues and poor grades/test scores. We knew that we could help facilitate change for these students and after brainstorming with parents, teachers, and administrators-Wellness with Bella was born. Wellness with Bella takes a holistic approach to health. The program combines healthy eating, physical fitness, mindfulness and meditation, and educational enrichment to help our students thrive. Research shows that the health of students is linked to their academic achievement… so by connecting these components, we address the issues that impede students from coming to school ready to learn.