Cumberland County Public Library Launched a New Culinary Literacy Program

When most people think of the library, they picture rows of books, quiet study spaces, and maybe a story time or two. Now, with its newest program, the Cumberland County Public Library is reshaping what a library can be.

This fall, the Cumberland County Public Library introduced Cumberland Cooks, a free event powered by nonprofit and national food education program The Charlie Cart Project and funded by a $40,500 grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services. Cumberland Cooks is structured to help the community learn practical cooking skills and promote healthier living through hands-on cooking classes, live demonstrations, and tastings.

Culinary literacy and food insecurity

Cumberland Cooks is a new culinary and wellness program that helps attendees improve their diet by educating participants on cooking skills and nutrition.

It is also designed to address food insecurity—which is “the availability of nutritionally adequate and safe foods or the ability to acquire acceptable foods in socially acceptable ways is limited or uncertain,” according to the Journal of Nutrition—in the community by increasing access to affordable and healthy food, by teaching participants to shop smart, and by providing resources on local food banks. It is a program that provides opportunities for social connection by bringing the community together in a supportive environment.

Food insecurity is an ongoing and urgent crisis in America. According to Feeding America, in Cumberland County, nearly 18% of the population in 2023 struggled with food insecurity, exceeding the national average of approximately 14%. 

There are several factors that contribute to food insecurity, including, but not limited to, lack of resources, lack of knowledge, and lack of affordable, balanced meals, according to the Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion. When people have limited or inconsistent access to nutritious food, it can lead to adverse outcomes such as malnutrition, life-long chronic medical conditions, poor mental health, behavioral issues in children and more, according to a collection of studies in the National Library of Medicine. 

Amanda Dekker, the Headquarters Library branch manager, said the library has many resources to help families put food on the table, including cookbooks, information on local food banks, sales flyers from local stores, and a service that loans out kitchen utensils.

“I think everybody’s feeling the rising costs of food and trying to make the dime go farther,” Dekker said, “and we have so many materials here that people may not even know exist. [Cumberland Cooks] is just a way to branch out, not just for cooking but how else can we help them.”

What’s a Charlie Cart?

The Cumberland Cooks demonstrations will make use of a Charlie Cart, a compact kitchen on wheels. The Charlie Cart is fully equipped with everything needed to teach others to cook. It weighs around 600 lbs. and has a built-in convection oven, induction cooktop, rinse station, and is stocked with over 100 kitchen tools.

Heather Hall, the director of the Cumberland County Public Library expressed just how much the Charlie Carts helped with bringing Cumberland Cooks to life, allowing the flexibility to create the hands-on program.

“These mobile teaching kitchens are more than just carts, they’re a way to connect people through food, health and learning,” Hall said. “Cooking together teaches practical life skills, builds confidence, and sparks conversation across generations.”

The staff involved with Cumberland Cooks were prepared in several ways. In addition to food safety training, they also completed training sessions, learning best practices for the cart and everything the cart has to offer, and reviewed the training sessions, recipes, and lesson plans provided by The Charlie Cart Project.

About the Program

The Cumberland Cooks program reflects the library’s continued commitment to inclusivity. Samantha Lewis, Cumberland Cooks project head and youth services librarian II, stated that the sessions are designed to welcome people of all ages, cultural backgrounds, and dietary needs, ensuring that the community sees itself represented not just in the recipes but in the experience.

“Some will be for adults, some will be for teens, some will be for children, some will be for all ages,” Lewis said. “The Charlie Carts are available for all departments to use for multiple different programs; some will have historical or cultural focuses. There will be a variety of programs.”

To keep Cumberland Cooks as safe and accessible as possible, the staff plans to avoid major allergens most of the time, but in dishes that do include allergens, there will be disclaimers on the library’s event calendar, and for each event, all ingredients of the dish will be displayed outside of the space where the demonstration will take place.

The Charlie Carts will be shared throughout all eight libraries in the Cumberland County Public Library system, rotating between two branches every two months.

This month and next, and in July and August next year, the Charlie Carts will rotate between East Regional and Hope Mills libraries. In January, February, September and October next year, the carts will be at Bordeaux and Spring Lake libraries, and in March, April, November, and December next year, the rotation will be between West Regional and North Regional libraries. The Charlie Carts will return to Headquarters and Cliffdale libraries in May and June 2026 in honor of Headquarters Library’s 40th anniversary.

Rotating the carts between the branches allows Cumberland Cooks to reach as many residents as possible. Many residents, including Helga Newman, rely on events being held close to their homes.

“I would attend another,” Newman said, “but not in Hope Mills or East Regional because I can’t get there.”

In the Kitchen

Of course, no program like this succeeds without engaging presenters. Tonya Minor, one of the Cumberland Cooks’ presenters and adult services librarian I, has a clear passion for cooking. When she heard about Cumberland Cooks, she was excited to be a part of the program.

“I like presenting programs and teaching people how to do things,” Minor said, “and I love to cook. We do have other food programs at the library but it’s more extensive with the Charlie Cart.”

The format of each session will depend on the dish, resources available, and ages of the participants. Each event will either be a hands-on cooking session, where an instructor will walk attendees through each step of the cooking process as they make the dish themselves, or a visual demonstration where attendees learn by observing the instructor make the dish.

The inaugural event on September 24 was a cooking demonstration presented by Patrick Parker, adult services librarian II. The audience learned to make two dips, the first being a warm Velveeta cheese dip with ground sausage, and the second being a cold taco-flavored cream cheese dip.

The Cumberland Cooks staff wants to assure all participants feel comfortable and safe when attending a session. If an attendee feels uncomfortable with a certain portion of the process, such as using a knife, they are encouraged to speak up so the presenter can assist. However, each step will be thoroughly explained and demonstrated in order to effectively teach participants the lifelong skills needed to make the cooking process easy and fun.

There are a variety of recipes planned to be taught throughout the course of the program. Some of which include crepes, cheese dip, mocktails, afterschool snacks, herb butters, baby food, and even dog treats.

At its heart, Cumberland Cooks isn’t just about food, it’s about neighbors coming together, learning side by side, and leaving with something they can carry home.

When audience member Ja’Nelle Lunnermon was asked why her and her two sons—ages 5 and 10—attended the September 24 demonstration, she stated that cooking was an interest for both of her kids.

“We homeschool, so it seemed like a cool activity to come and be a part of,” Lunnermon said after the demonstration. “They’re really interested in cooking, and they are in the kitchen with me a lot, so I thought this would be a fun experience with them.” She shared that they all loved the event and that they would absolutely attend again.

Whether attendees are interested in learning cooking skills, discovering new recipes, obtaining resources for food access and budgeting, or making connections with other community members, there is room for everyone at the Cumberland Cooks table.

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