The EFNEP (Expanded Food Nutrition Program) Assistant had the unique opportunity to collaborate with numerous local community partners, including individualized families and their children, Save the Children, and Family Resource Center Coordinators. This initiative, known as "Prime Time," spanned six weeks and saw consistent participation from both youth and their families. The primary focus of this program was to support youth facing reading challenges. In this engaging program, young participants were treated to captivating storytelling sessions reading stories, followed by group discussions centered around the stories. Additionally, families were provided with books to take home, fostering a culture of reading within the children's households. 

Recognizing the importance of promoting nutrition alongside literacy, the EFNEP component was seamlessly integrated. The program required parents or caregivers to accompany their children. While the children immersed themselves in the world of stories, parents received valuable education through the Healthy Choices for Every Body curriculum. 

During each session, participants could sample nutritious recipes prepared by the EFNEP Assistant. This holistic approach yielded impressive results. Given the prevalent challenges many families face in adopting healthier eating habits and the tendency to dine out frequently, it is noteworthy that out of the 24 families represented in this program, every single adult showed improvement in at least one food group. The revelation that the sampled recipes appealed to their taste buds and represented healthier alternatives sparked a keen interest in obtaining more such recipes. Afterthis enriching six-week program, each family in this initiative received a binder containing valuable resources. 

These binders included participant handouts from the Healthy Choices for Every Body curriculum and a collection of the diverse recipes introduced through the nutritional component. In a time of rising food prices and ongoing economic challenges many families face, it was a relief to participants to discover that the ingredients used in these recipes were eligible for purchase using SNAP benefits. This realization empowered the families, knowing they could continue making healthier food choices without straining their budgets.