Richard Astwood Jr. Autism Culinary Institute

Richard Astwood Jr. Autism Culinary Institute A nonprofit cooking school empowering individuals with autism through hands-on culinary training, life skills, and confidence-building opportunities.

Focused on independence, dignity, and real-world readiness.

All geared up for our next demonstration today ! There’s a lot that goes into the R.A.A.C.I. and every step IS an import...
08/21/2026

All geared up for our next demonstration today ! There’s a lot that goes into the R.A.A.C.I. and every step IS an important one ! We treat EVERY demonstration with love and serious care ! 💙💙💙

07/29/2026

Meet the people behind the mission. 🧡

You know RAACI for our cooking demonstrations, grow programs, and community impact, but none of it would be possible without the incredible people who make it all happen.

We thought it was time to introduce you to the amazing team behind RAACI... one fun question at a time!

Today, meet Loren, our Director of Urban Agriculture. 🌱

Watch until the end to hear her answer, then tell us in the comments: Who would you cook for, and what would you make? 👇

Stay tuned, there are plenty more RAACI team members for you to meet and questions to be answered!

07/27/2026

Booking a cooking demonstration isn't just about making a meal. It's about building confidence.

Every recipe teaches more than cooking:
It teaches problem-solving.
It encourages independence.
It creates friendships.
It reminds every participant that they are capable.
That's why we do what we do.

We're so proud of every chef who joins us. Thank you to our volunteers, families, partners, and supporters who help make these moments possible.

💚 Leave our current and future chefs a word of encouragement in the comments. We know they'll love reading your messages.

Interested in bringing a cooking or grow demonstration to your organization, or supporting programs like these through a donation? Send us a message. We'd love to connect.

07/24/2026

We had the chance to sit down with our Founder & CEO, Lori Astwood, after today's cooking demonstration and ask her one important question...

Why is RAACI an important organization to have?

Her answer is a powerful reminder of why we do this work every day and why creating opportunities for differently abled adults is so important.

💚 Take a listen, then let us know in the comments: What part of RAACI's mission resonates most with you?

🚨 Introducing today's cooking crew! 👨‍🍳👩‍🍳Meet the amazing chefs who made today's cooking demonstration a success! From ...
07/24/2026

🚨 Introducing today's cooking crew! 👨‍🍳👩‍🍳

Meet the amazing chefs who made today's cooking demonstration a success! From chopping and stirring to laughing and learning, this crew showed up ready to cook, create, and build new skills together.

Help us celebrate today's chefs by dropping a 👏 or 💙 in the comments!

CookingTogether

In a last minute venue change Ms. Estelle Moore and her dedication to help the Richard Astwood Autism Culinary Institute...
07/12/2026

In a last minute venue change Ms. Estelle Moore and her dedication to help the Richard Astwood Autism Culinary Institute assisted us with a GREAT and spacious place for our most recent cooking demonstration with the Pocono Autism Society! We all had a wonderful time making our ground turkey casserole (a wonderful $8.24 meal) together and individually. Lori Astwood and Loren Astwood were the leads of our cooking experience! We also had our team of special helpers who include SirCharles Mosley, Iyana Evans-Astwood, Zion Evans-Astwood, and Edi Daley. We thank you so much for all you have done!!
Special thanks to our Prayer Team: Karen Cunningham, Dawn Ange, Poochie Freeman, and Odessa Pat Cunningham 💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙

Our first grow demonstration with the Pocono Autism Society was a complete SUCCESS!! We had our Growth Manager Loren Ast...
07/04/2026

Our first grow demonstration with the Pocono Autism Society was a complete SUCCESS!! We had our Growth Manager Loren Astwood leading the demonstration! Our gift bags were packed with everything that our beautiful guests needed to start their very own small garden ! Everyone had a wonderful time and a great learning experience! We are so grateful we can serve our community with LOVE ! 💙💙💙💙

Yesterday was a MAJOR win for the Richard Astwood Culinary Institute!!! We received the FIRST of MANY grants !! $5,000 !...
06/10/2026

Yesterday was a MAJOR win for the Richard Astwood Culinary Institute!!! We received the FIRST of MANY grants !! $5,000 ! Thank you so much to Samantha Holbert and ESSA bank & Trust ! This is such a push forward for us as a WHOLE ! We are ready to create and SERVE our community!

Hello family! We are soon going to get an UPGRADE to our burners!!! We are so excited for upgraded appliances!! 💙💙💙
06/08/2026

Hello family!
We are soon going to get an UPGRADE to our burners!!!

We are so excited for upgraded appliances!! 💙💙💙

05/07/2026

WE ARE NOW OPEN AND AVAILABLE FOR BOOKING ‼️

Not only is our program fun and hands on,
We are teaching one of the most important skills to know: COOKING !

Just click the link to our website to get started !
We look forward to seeing you in the future !! 💙💙💙💙💙💙

Address

3308 Route 940 #427
Mount Pocono, PA
18344

Telephone

+15702344689

Website

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