In a world where countless women face multifaceted crises and struggle to find their footing, the Nutrition Education Program and Women's Crisis Center worked together, transforming lives through an approach to nutrition and empowerment. This success story highlights the positive impact it has had on countless women, fostering resilience, and enabling them to reclaim their lives with dignity and purpose.

Understanding that proper nutrition plays a vital role in restoring both physical and mental well-being, the Mason County EFNEP (Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program) assistant began a seven-week Healthy Choices for Every Body class with seven women and one employee of the ION Center for Violence Prevention.   Recognizing that empowerment goes beyond providing immediate relief, the class included skill-building initiatives such as cooking classes, nutrition education, budgeting, and food safety.  Equipping women with practical skills allowed them to develop self-confidence, foster independence, and enhance their employability, ultimately breaking the cycle of crisis and dependency.

By addressing dietary needs and empowering women to make informed choices, the class helped them regain control over their health.  According to nutritional surveys that were introduced before the first class and again after the last class, 100% of participants showed improvement in one or more diet quality indicators (i.e., eating fruits, vegetables, red and orange vegetables, dark green vegetables). One hundred percent (100%) of participants showed improvement in one or more food resource management practices (i.e., compare food prices, plan meals before shopping, or make a list before shopping) and 100% of participants showed improvement in one or more food security indicators (i.e., not eating less than you wanted so there was more food for your family or having enough money to get food for your family).

One of the women was deaf and NEP provided a translator by ZOOM for each class.  

One woman stated the recipes didn’t appeal to her until she tried them and after trying them, she liked each one and would make them again.  The employee participant loved the Apple Spinach Salad and included it in her menu for all clients and employees.