Son of a Saint

Son of a Saint is a New Orleans based non-profit organization whose mission is to support and mentor young boys. The organization believes that every child deserves the opportunity to succeed, regardless of their circumstance. It provides a range of programs and services to address the needs of these young men and help them reach their full potential. 

Nutrition is a critical aspect of community well-being. The Goldring Center for Culinary Medicine is committed to building partnerships within the Greater New Orleans Area that help empower community members by providing skills and knowledge to prepare healthy meals at home and promoting healthy eating habits. GCCM has partnered with the Son of a Saint organization since 2022, teaching young men, their mentors, and their caregivers cooking skills and nutrition education during a 2-hour hands-on cooking class.  We value the relationship that has been built with the Son of a Saint organization and believe that fostering collaborations that address nutrition can contribute to building healthier and more resilient communities. 

Son of a Saint’s Culinary and Nutrition programming exists to teach our mentees the benefits of healthy eating as well as important life skills like how to navigate the kitchen, how to read a recipe, and basic kitchen terms. At SOAS Headquarters we use portable burners and typically cook in groups of 5; when visiting the Goldring Center our mentees absolutely love getting to cook at their own workspaces in a “real” kitchen! Heather and the Goldring staff truly go above and beyond to make the experience enjoyable — they even created a few SOAS-mentee-friendly recipes that are both delicious and healthy. The Goldring Center has been an amazing compliment to our existing program that our boys, mentors, and guardians have all enjoyed! 

                                                                       – NIkki Martens, MA, NTP

                                                                         Emeril Lagasse Foundation – Son of a Saint Nutrition Education Specialist