Written by: Kimi Moore, Health and Well-being Extension Agent, University of Delaware Cooperative Extension
Community dinners benefit Dover youth
Kent County, and Dover specifically, have worse health-related indicators compared to the other two counties in Delaware.
According to The Family Dinner Project, family dinners have been shown to have many positive benefits for youth, like eating more fruits and vegetables, better academic performance and reducing high-risk teen behaviors. The need for community dinners, which support family dinners, has been highlighted by organizations in Dover.
Working in partnership, members of the Dover Youth Committee (DYC), a committee created and led by University of Delaware Cooperative Extension, planned and implemented three community dinners in 2024 and one so far in 2025.
Each dinner provided a healthy meal and an engaging activity that aligned with a DYC subcommittee. These activities included a cooking demonstration that served as the meal, creating a calming jar, creating a holiday financial savings booklet, and participating in a physical activity game.
The goals of the community dinners were to provide a healthy meal, increase community cohesion, and increase awareness of and connect community members to local resources.
Several DYC members were in attendance, and a resource table was set up to connect committee members and their resources to the community members. In total, there have been 94 dinner attendees, 42 of whom were youth.
As a result of the meals served at the dinners, several youths and adults reported trying a new vegetable or dish.
One youth in attendance had never had chili before, which was demonstrated and served as the meal. They were hesitant to try it but did. Not only did they love it, but said they may try to make it at home for their mom.
Another youth tried beans for the first time because they were offered with the taco dinner.
Several attendees participated multiple times, showing positive progress towards the goal of providing a space for community connection.
The DYC Community Dinner series is set to continue with three more dinners planned for 2025 in April, June, & October.