In our county there has been a usda commodity program supported by the fiscal court and operated by county workers with some volunteers of which myself the local Extension Nutrition education program assistant was one. However, with covid came very strict restrictions and that meant no access for any volunteers and little access for any communication with this audience. The commodities were added to  the trunks of peoples cars without any physical contact. Before e this people had walked into the facility and collected their commodities in a bag talking with other people that all stopped with covid . The program had originally catered to approximately 180 families with supplemental food once a month. but that had dropped dramatically even though people still needed the commodities. Then with the lifting of covid restrictions and a new judge and fiscal court members there was an opportunity to enter a new way of delivering this program

After speaking to the judge who in turn spoke with the fiscal court about a plan to have a more streamline system where people could line up early for their commodities, which had been packed the day prior, then on the day volunteers, myself and the program director could speak to each car load of people and collect their details and give them information on other resources and programs within our county handing out program flyers and lists of blessing boxes in the county, church sponsored family meal nights, and programs at the extension office. I started my first program of 9 weeks once a week where clients came and spent 30 minutes with me and then took home a program bag to do at their own pace in their own time, which included recipes to make with their commodity foods,  quizzes on budgeting, meal planning, they received kitchen gadgets like vegetable peelers, chopping mats, measuring cups, etc but what people really enjoyed the most was the communication and being able to do normal things again, feeling they had someone to talk too about cooking for families or cooking for one most told me this.

Some had been out of work now they felt confident to apply for and get jobs, one mom got a job in the IGA Supermarket in the deli counter and has since left and become a director of the after school program at the middle school another applied and got a job at the head start center in town they inspire me as well to keep teaching young and old alike.