I love getting feedback from readers who have tried my recipes. I was incredibly moved, inspired and touched by this feedback from Veronica Dowell who told me about her son, who uses Penny’s Recipes for his weekly cooking:-
Just wanted to share this with you !! For months now our son Chris has been cooking your recipes on a Wednesday …and they have all been fab.
Chris has Down’s Syndrome (23yrs) and we feel he needs to learn healthy/budget meals, as if he ever decides to leave home, he will be living off a very small income. He has a part time job at Waitrose, and after work he and his support worker go shopping and then follow one of your recipes. Tonight it was courgette bake and it was lovely.
I decided to enquire more about him and discovered that he is raising some money for charity too by walking from Torquay to Brixham and back. By doing this he is facing and overcoming his fears in a way that certainly has me full of admiration!
As his cooking and walking had lifted my spirits immeasurably – I hope you will feel inspired and joyful through what Chris is doing too.
Veronica Dowell says:-
Chris is 23yrs old and has two part time jobs (hotel & shop). Chris has a learning disability, Down’s Syndrome and unilateral hearing loss.
After work on a Wednesday he is learning to cook dinner with his enabler supporting him. He has loved the recipes on Penny’s site. It is important for him to learn easy/healthy/on a budget meals. We have enjoyed all the meals he has cooked and it has been lovely coming home from work and having a meal handed to me.
Another part of his week he is enjoying growing vegetables on a small allotment plot. Helping him understand where vegetables come from and promote a healthy lifestyle. Broad bean collection today – so bean/bacon pasta !! He attends a gym as well to help him keep fit.
Chris use to be very scared of animals especially dogs (dogs barking). This year he is raising money for Animals in Distress (facing his old fears head on!!) and Downsouth (our local Down’s Syndrome Support Group). Making this a larger project – Chris has met with Animals in Distress staff at Kennels and Charity shops – with support he has learnt to introduce himself to staff (have a photo taken), taken a dog for a walk from the kennels and with support he made sponsor forms for charity shops and is making a blog – chrisdowall.wordpress.com
Chris is walking in stages from Torquay to Brixham and back (Chris has struggled/not enjoyed walking in the past due to his Hypotonia and having had heart surgery). Raising money has given him a purpose and a challenge.
If you would like to support Chris’ fundraising please donate here
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