Lawrence County CES Program Indicators and Success StoriesJul 1, 2021 - Jun 30, 2022





2066 - Nutrition and Food Systems General
2066.1) 0

Number of individuals who reported eating 4-6 servings of fruits and/or vegetables daily

2066.2) 0

Number of individuals who reported they utilized delivery systems/access points (e.g. farmers’ markets, CSAs, WIC, food pantries) that offer healthy foods

2066.5) 0

Number of individuals who reported increased knowledge, skills, or intentions related to using the nutrition facts label

2066.4) 0

Number of families/caregivers who reported supplementing their diets with healthy foods that they grew or preserved (community or backyard gardens, fishing, hunting, farmers markets)

2066.3) 5000

Dollars in EBT, WIC, or Senior benefits redeemed at farmers’ markets



Success Stories

Food Boxes and Food Banks

Author: Ruth Kirk

Major Program: Nutrition and Food Systems General

The COVID-19 pandemic caused a significant increase in the demand for emergency food boxes, as more families faced layoffs and cutbacks in Lawrence County. Lawrence County’s Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP) Senior Assistant partnered with community food banks to provide nutrition information and healthy recipes to individuals and families receiving assistance from local food banks.  The food banks where information was distributed included God’s Food Pantry,

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Grab and Go

Author: Ruth Kirk

Major Program: Nutrition and Food Systems General

When COVID-19 hit all Nutrition Education Program (NEP) classes came to a halt to protect the health of clients. The Lawrence County Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP) Senior Assistant started thinking about ways to reach clientele who would normally attend in-person Healthy Choices for Everybody classes. Not only were clients unable to attend classes on nutrition, but the unemployment rate jumped from 3.8% to 14.8%, creating a larger number of families with limited resou

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Lawrence County, KY Nutrition Education Program Facebook

Author: Ruth Kirk

Major Program: Nutrition and Food Systems General

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, in-person lessons, demonstrations, and public relations events were the preferred method of reaching Lawrence County Nutrition Education Program (NEP) clients. With the exponential growth of the pandemic and need to reach clientele in innovative ways, the Lawrence County NEP Assistants created an educational Facebook page. Creating this page allowed NEP lessons and educational materials to continue to reach clientele while they were staying “Healthy at Home.

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Gardening Kits

Author: Danielle Fairchild

Major Program: Nutrition and Food Systems General

The Lawrence County Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program-Education (SNAP-Ed) senior Assistant and the Agriculture and Natural Resources (ANR) Agent viewed the COVID-19 pandemic as an opportunity to educate during a time of uncertainty. Their goal was to respond to food insecurity and the potential long-lasting effects of economic downturns. The SNAP-Ed senior Assistant and ANR Agent, in an effort to teach sustainability and self-sufficiency through gardening, mailed out over 1025 seed packe

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Profess Popcorn

Author: Danielle Fairchild

Major Program: Nutrition and Food Systems General

The Lawrence County Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Education (SNAP-Ed) Assistant partnered with Louisa East Elementary School Family Resource Youth Service Center (FRYSC) to provide Professor Popcorn with all 3rd – 5th grade students. In Kentucky, 23.8% of youth ages 10 to 17 have obesity, giving Kentucky a ranking of 1 among the 50 states and D.C. (stateofchildhoodobesity.org). The SNAP-Ed assistant taught 6 lessons to stress the importance of healthy eating and physical activi

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Food Boxes / Food Bank

Author: Danielle Fairchild

Major Program: Nutrition and Food Systems General

The COVID-19 pandemic caused a significant increase in demand for emergency food boxes as more families faced layoffs and cutbacks in Lawrence County. Lawrence County’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Education (SNAP-Ed) senior Assistant partnered with 3 food banks to get nutrition information and healthy recipes into food boxes for families in the community monthly. Sharing information and recipes from our Healthy Choices for Every Body Curriculum on how to store and prepare the

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Programs on the Go

Author: Danielle Fairchild

Major Program: Nutrition and Food Systems General

When COVID-19 hit and all classes came to a halt and the unemployment rate jumped from 4.8% to 14.9%, with this is mind, the Lawrence County Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program-Education (SNAP-Ed) senior Assistant started thinking about ways to reach the SNAP clientele who would normally attend in-person Healthy Choices for Every Body classes.Beginning in April 2020, various educational themed bags were assembled for families in the community. Families would pick up a Program on the Go bag

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“LEAP”ing into Millard Elementary

Author: Ruth Kirk

Major Program: Nutrition and Food Systems General

According to a survey conducted by the Centers for Disease Control, Kentucky is the least physically active state in the nation. The risk factors of poor nutrition and physical inactivity begin early in life.  The Bogalusa Heart Study indicated that children as young as 2 years old were already consuming a high-fat, high-sodium, and low-fiber diet.  Furthermore, the percentage of children and adolescents who are overweight has more than doubled in the past 30 years.The Lawrence County

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Happy Thanksgiving for Lawrence Countians

Author: Ruth Kirk

Major Program: Nutrition and Food Systems General

Lawrence County EFNEP (Expanded Foods and Nutrition Education Program) Assistant partnered with Family Resource Center Directors (FRC) from five (5) Lawrence County schools to offer the “Healthy Choices for Every Body” curriculum. The FRC Directors were looking for a series that would address nutrition, overall health, family mealtime, quick and easy nutritious meals at home, food safety and strategies for increasing physical activity. According to the handout Home Is Where the Healt

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Healthy Choices for Your Recovering Body

Author: Ruth Kirk

Major Program: Nutrition and Food Systems General

The drug epidemic in Eastern Kentucky has been on the steady rise in the last 10 years and the number of addiction recovery facilities in Lawrence County alone have doubled within the last 5 years. Lawrence County Expanded Food Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP) Assistant offered the pilot program Healthy Choices for Your Recovering Body to a women’s substance abuse recovery center. The seven (7) lessons included Moving toward good health, Cooking for better health, Keep food safe, Buildi

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LEAP (Literacy, Eating and Activity for Primary)

Author: Ruth Kirk

Major Program: Nutrition and Food Systems General

According to a survey conducted by the Centers for Disease Control, Kentucky is the least physically active state in the nation. The risk factors of poor nutrition and physical inactivity begin early in life.  The Bogalusa Heart Study indicated that children as young as 2 years old were already consuming a high-fat, high-sodium, and low-fiber diet.   Furthermore, the percentage of children and adolescents who are overweight has more than doubled in the past 30 years.The principal at Lo

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