In 2022 the SNAP-Ed senior program assistant partnered with Briarwood Apartments, a federally subsidized apartment community for people who are 62 years of age and older or disabled. Over the course of several weeks, courses were offered covering nutrition, food resource management and food safety. Participants were administered an evaluation on the first and last class to measure the programs impact. Upon completion of the program 83% of participants showed improvement in one of more of the food safety metrics: hand washing, sanitizing work stations, proper temperature control, and preventing cross contamination.

These skills have proven to decrease the occurrence of foodborne illness. This is of particular interest to the residents of Briarwood Apartments. According to the Center for Disease Control, adults aged 65 and older, as well as people with chronic medical issues, are at a higher risk of contracting foodborne illness due to their weakened immune systems and organ functioning. Furthermore, nearly half of people aged 65 and older who get foodborne illness from Salmonella, Campylobacter, Listeria or E. coli are hospitalized. Safe food handling practices are the best defense against foodborne illness and these lessons have given more security and autonomy to a medically vulnerable community.