Live cooking demos, virtual tea talks and medical appointments: UTM’s HCC keeps programs running

Throughout the pandemic, U of T Mississauga’s dietitian Kimberly Green has been inviting students into her kitchen. And hundreds have joined her, virtually, of course.

A few weeks into the lockdown, Green started hosting live cooking shows on UTM’s Health and Counselling Centre’s Wellness Instagram page as the centre moved its programming online. She says she opted for a live format so it would be interactive, foster a sense of community and provide some entertainment.

At least one of her live streams took place in a dark kitchen after her power went out, but that made the class feel more authentic and relatable.

In sharing her love of food and cooking, Green offers students an opportunity to not only build their skills in the kitchen, but also their confidence. She shows viewers how to put a full meal together, based on the Canada food guide, that is both filling and tastes good. Green says recipes are developed with a student budget in mind.

“I like to talk about fish and cook with fish,” says Green, who didn’t have a lot of fish growing up in Manitoba. “It’s intimidating (but) it’s really quick and one of the best foods for us.”

While nutrition plays a role, Green is careful not to overcomplicate it. Her classes focus on pulling all the elements from the food guide into a dish while “not getting caught up in having to weigh or measure or worry too much about some of those numbers and details,” Green says, referring to some of the perfectionist meal planning that can be found online. “We don’t eat like that.”

Green also creates shorter Instagram videos for Foodie Fridays, which have proven popular, and offers virtual one-on-one counselling. She says she would love to continue the virtual cooking classes if that’s something that still interests students when the pandemic is over.

Live, online cooking sessions are just one of the many ways HCC is adapting to continue offering programs and services to students who are no longer on campus.

HCC Medical Director Erin Kraftcheck says the department recognized early on they would need to adapt their programming. Given the importance of continuing medical care, clinical services went online overnight.

“We had really great support from our campus partners to allow us to very quickly adapt,” Kraftcheck says, adding staff in the health and counselling centre knew how important it was to offer seamless care.

“There are a variety of clinicians available every day to meet student needs,” Kraftcheck continues. “For a lot of students who make us their family doctor while they’re at school, it’s important they know that service is still available.”

Counselling staff are also running workshops to reach students who may have challenges accessing one-on-one counselling sessions due to their living arrangements. Kraftcheck explains staff developed a way to provide strategies, tips and resources in a more educational format where participants don’t have to share personal information. The workshops give students practical tips they would’ve received from one-on-one discussions about a variety of topics, including procrastination, academic stress and insomnia.

Several students have sent direct messages thanking HCC for continuing programming and have even suggested future topics, Kraftcheck says.

The HCC has moved much of their other programming online, including mindful meditation, which as seen “incredible response,” self-care activities, and student-led drop-in sessions.

Each Tuesday Fatima Faruq and her fellow facilitators host Tea Talk Tuesdays over Zoom, where students are invited to BYOT – Bring Your Own Tea. The hour-long sessions give students an opportunity to connect with their peers and talk about wellness in a judgment-free setting. Facilitators offer fun activities and ask guided questions on topics like healthy study habits, exams, meditation and making SMART goals.

“Each week we get together, share whatever we’re feeling, and we help each other grow,” says Faruq, who is heading into her fourth year of biology health sciences and psychology.

She says the sessions help build a sense of community and give students a chance to learn from one another and share stories. That connection may be especially important during the pandemic when loneliness and isolation are part of everyone’s life, Faruq adds.

“We’re not interacting with people as much … because there’s this fear,” she says, noting people can interact on the Wellness Hub without worrying about catching the virus or having others judge them for stopping to chat.

“We want to tell people there are still resources out there.”

That’s the same message Kraftcheck wants to share.

“It’s important to us that students know that we’re still here,” she says, encouraging those who have never used HCC services or programming to “give us a try because we are used to some of the unique struggles students are facing, with COVID-19 as an added layer.”

Visit the HCC website for more information about available programs and services.

Green's recipes can be found here.