Our final UPshop of 2024 was a thrilling and educational inside look into grocery shopping, thanks to an innovative partnership with Save Mart. Youth developed life skills through scavenger-hunt-style games and an informative Q&A session where store managers gave tips on navigating a grocery store, stretching dollars while shopping, and best practices for getting a job.
Our Program Team also led interactive meal planning, cooking and budgeting exercises. One activity was a competition between Mentoring Matches in which each Match had to plan a meal of $10 or less made from at least 3 ingredients that included at least one protein and vegetable. Matches maneuvered through the store, noting selected ingredients, their costs, and the approximate number of people the completed meal could serve. The winner at $6.51 for 2 to 4 servings was an easy noodle stir fry made with chicken, ramen noodles and a frozen vegetable mix.
Another fun activity was to create a shopping list for a week’s worth of groceries within a $50 budget. This activity needed 3 items from all major food groups (fruits, vegetables, proteins, grains and dairy). Matches roamed the store, marking their scavenger hunt cards with the delicious foods they would buy. They quickly realized how important meal planning is and the benefits of buying ingredients that could be used in various dishes.
This was the first UPshop that our AmeriCorps Members fully planned. Maya and Manu did a fantastic job of equipping our teens and young adults with the skills needed to shop for and make affordable, healthy meals. And it was a blast!
Our goal is for the youth to leave every UPshop with something tangible to continue practicing what they learned. Each participant received a canvas shopping bag and gift card—teens received $25, and young adults living on their own received $50. Most were put to immediate use as mentees wanted to purchase some of the items they discovered.
This was one of our most hands-on and robust UPshops. In a fun and relaxed manner, it imparted many useful skills needed for everyday adulting. Our big thanks to Save Mart on Gerber Road for kindly hosting us with a private space in the breakroom, encouraging exploration of the store and providing a delicious deli lunch. We loved the positive energy and seeing mentees and mentors get so much out of this event.
