Success StoryCommon Earth Gardens Catholic Charities of Louisville: Food as Medicine



Common Earth Gardens Catholic Charities of Louisville: Food as Medicine

Author: Carolina Robles

Planning Unit: Jefferson County CES

Major Program: Active Living and Health Promotions General

Plan of Work: Making proactive choices for a healthier life

Outcome: Long-Term Outcome

The problem: Immigrant Farmers lack nutrition and overall health knowledge. They are living in a new place and do not know the nutrition and dietary guidelines in the US. Another issue is that in the US we have 3 major health problems that arise from our diet, Diabetes, Heart Disease, and Obesity. These three are risks are prevalent in the US due to common food practices. There was a total of 28 participants and over 5 different languages spoken, with interpreters present, and it lasted for 2 hours. 


The educational program response: The program response was difficult to gauge at times due to language barriers, but the audience was receptive and participated in every activity presented to them


The participants/target audience: Target audience was immigrant farmers and families in the Louisville area. 


Other partners (if applicable): Catholic Charities and NEP assistant Masha Egorenko. 


Program impact or participant response: This program gave participants a basic understanding of the USDA food guidelines. They were able to incorporate foods they eat into MyPlate and understand what it means to have a health balance diet, they also used different foods that they do not commonly eat and learn about health benefits of such. Participants also learned health risks associated with unhealthy eating practices that are common in the US like diabetes, obesity, and heart disease. Participants were able to identify what causes these diseases and how to prevent them, through healthy eating and exercise. 






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