The problem

The Kentucky Extension Homemakers Association (KEHA) is a volunteer organization that works to improve the quality of life for families and communities through leadership development, volunteer service, and education (Kentucky Extension Homemakers Association, 2023). This organization consists primarily of retired females with a growing audience of working women. With changing times and gender roles, there has been a void in capturing the male audience in this worthwhile organization.

The educational program response

Harrison County, KY established the first Men’s Homemaker group summer 2022. The Harrison County Men’s Homemakers meets monthly or bi-monthly for educational lessons and service projects. Topics covered during educational sessions have included cast iron cooking, lawn care, cooking with a smoker, hibachi grilling, men’s yoga, and understanding loans and interests’ rates. Service projects consists of a local nursing home wooden rocker bench restoration, nursing home front entrance landscape project, and building and installing raised beds with flowers and plants for nursing home residents. The group has also helped with other needs in the community including cooking, bagging, and distributing 2000 customer appreciation meals for the local electric company. Furthermore, the group grilled and sold concessions during the final night of the county fair and rodeo event.

The participants/target audience

Over 40 men ages 8-80+ have participated with the Men’s Homemaker group throughout the past year of its existence.

Other partners (if applicable)

Flyers and advertisements have been uniquely displayed at the 2022 Harrison County Fair, Chamber of Commerce Golf Scramble, and Country Club tri-month golf competition. Additional, promotion of Men’s Homemaker makes it in the hands of nearly 430 households through direct FCS newsletter mailings from the extension office, 450 hands of school staff, administrators, and employees for Community Action, Board of Education, and Family Resource Office. Furthermore, over 1200 FCS mini blast copies are sent home monthly with pre-K through fifth grade students to share with the adults in their families. The FCS newsletter also goes to a large email distribution including the local Maysville Community College, Cynthiana Mainstreet, Chamber, Lions Club, Harrison County Memorial Hospital, and Public Library. All promotional materials are uploaded to the Harrison County Family & Consumer Sciences Facebook page as well as marketed monthly over the local radio station.

Program impact or participant response.

Successes include gaining 1 or 2 new homemaker members at each of the men’s homemaker meetings. The first educational lesson taught on preparing pulled pork using an outdoor smoker. Two weeks following that presentation, floods devasted East Kentucky residents and men from the homemaker group, prepared 44 pulled pork sandwiches for hot lunches to serve 1000 flood victims in East Kentucky. The men have utilized their strength and talents of building, outdoor skills, and manpower with woodworking projects, raised beds, and landscaping to give back to the local community. “That bench looks so nice sitting on our nursing home front porch! It had gotten in very bad shape, and it is a real beauty to see it restored,” commented nursing home director. Several other FCS agents around the state of Kentucky have inquired about the Men’s Homemaker for potential implementation in their counties.