In her time with FitPros, Denver-based cooking instructor Suzy Lewis has been a hit with corporations and their employees. As a Master Certified Health Coach, she has helped clients transform their health through good habits and healthy lifestyles despite busy schedules. In her three years with FitPros, Lewis has hosted demos for Forbes, Thumbtack, Ripple, and Course Hero to name a few. Including upcoming classes, Lewis has hosted 55 demos in three years. Check out some of her recipes here: Spaghetti Squash Chow Mein, Veggie Polenta, and Tuscan Stuffed Peppers.
The pandemic caused lots of changes to the way FitPros have taught or even experienced regular life, and Lewis is no exception. When asked to explain what has changed in her life, Lewis stated that the pandemic has made her more available to teach as she would not be teaching so many classes if not for the shelter-in-place and social distancing guidelines.
With so many demos being offered, Lewis found herself and her family with an “abundance of food that was more than they could eat.” Hoping to find a solution to the surplus of food, Lewis and her family discussed what they could do. Her partner, Brian, suggested that they could package up all of the extra food and distribute it to homeless people who live near his workplace.
(Single-serving containers of pumpkin pie pudding.)
Lewis explained her process for the food donation. “After the cooking class is over I package up the food into single-serving containers and tape a card with a positive quote and fork to the top. Then my family drives around Littleton and Denver to look for people who are on the streets. When we see someone, we pull over and offer them food.” She mentioned that everyone who has received this food has been very grateful and has “taken it with a smile.” Brian, her partner, will sometimes take food with him to his dry cleaners or just around the city so he can find new people that way. Recently, Lewis and her family began handing out winter hats with the food as Colorado gets very cold this time of year. Lewis said, “It really makes the demos take on a new meaning knowing that needy people will be receiving a treat!”
(Here is a single-serving container of Lewis' pudding along with a warm winter hat.)
Currently, Lewis is looking into partnering with a local shelter that would distribute extra food to their residents, and she is hopeful that this partnership will come to fruition. For now, however, Lewis is happy to continue giving out food to those on the streets that her family comes across.
Lewis has been greatly impacted by the ability to donate food. “It has been very moving to talk with people that we have met to give the food and hats to and it is very heartwarming. I would love to be able to do more and I understand that it is not a simple problem with a simple solution. It has definitely changed my perception of people who live on the streets. The exchange of love, acceptance, and understanding has been unexpected.” She believes that the community has also been impacted positively. “It's kind of like the story of the girl who threw starfish into the ocean that had washed ashore from the waves. There were so many that it didn't seem like picking them up one by one and throwing them back into the surf would make a difference to people looking on. Her response was that it made a difference for that one.”
Lewis believes that, especially right now with the pandemic, it is important to be especially caring of one another. Every day is uncertain and you never know what those around you are going through. “With homelessness in our country at an all-time high and so much polarization happening in our society I think that coming together with people who don't look like ourselves is a step in the right direction that everyone can try to do. It looks different for us all, just do what you can. Like Wonder Woman said “Now I know, that only love can truly save the world." This love can come in many different forms; maybe you are like Suzy and you donate food to the homeless, or maybe you are an essential worker/assist those who need help with their health. It is clear that Lewis has a desire to help people.
You can also get involved in helping the homeless community. Purchase a cooking demo today and all extra food will be donated to a local homeless shelter/homeless individuals in the Denver area. According to endhomelessness.com, over 552,000 people are experiencing homelessness (that’s a rate of 17/every 10,000 people) and only 65% of this population are living in shelters. This leaves a shocking 35% with no place to stay and no way to secure food. Keeping these statistics in mind, your cooking demo purchase will have a large impact. We at FitPros are extremely thankful to Suzy Lewis and her commitment to making a difference in her area.
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