COVID 19 impacted the way SNAP-Ed could provide information to their clientele. Instead of in person classes, nutrition information had to be shared virtually or printed and delivered with no contact. During the pandemic when most people were confined at home, it was important to continue to offer nutrition education to our clientele as the added stress of the unknown pandemic caused many to stress eat while others were having problems with food insecurity brought on by the pandemic. Harvard University labeled the increased weight gain from the pandemic “Quarantine 15” with 15 pounds being the average weight gain. Food insecurity was especially a concern since schools were not in session and that was where many students received the majority of their meals.

Facebook became SNAP-Ed preferred method of reaching our audience, and each county did a weekly newsletter that provided the needed nutrition education.  The newsletters were also printed and dropped off at senior centers and other community partners to reach senior citizens that were isolated from family and friends during this time.  Each county Facebook audience reached approximately 35-40 members each week plus the nutrition drops at community partners.  

Once in person classes begin again and SNAP-Ed assistants were busier with classes and programming, individual weekly newsletter were too time consuming for each assistant to do. The team developed a new weekly format called KSU Korner SNAP-Ed and each assistant takes turns doing the weekly newsletter which is shared in all six counties Facebook page as well as printed and shared with community partners. This increases the outreach of the nutrition information in the newsletter and each KSU SNAP-Ed County is receiving the same information that is evident based. In the past 2 years with the pandemic virtual education has become mainstream and been a way to reach our underserved clients that we were not able to serve before. SNAP-Ed plans to continue to offer virtual programming as well as in person classes to reach as many underserved clients as possible to help improve their health with good eating habits, promotion of exercise and help with food insecurities.