Describe the Issue or Situation. Cheryl Spain, the director of the Muhlenberg County Senior Center reached out to the Nutrition Education Program Assistant Senior in Muhlenberg County about Nutrition Education and Food Safety classes for seniors who visit the Senior Center daily.  She was concerned about the seniors’ improper handling of their lunch leftovers.  According to the CDC, seniors are at higher risk for complications from foodborne pathogens and have increased vulnerability to food borne illnesses as they often have weakened immune systems.   Many seniors that visit the center have chronic health conditions like diabetes or heart disease, which can be exacerbated by improper food handling or unsafe eating practices.

Describe the Outreach or Educational Program Response (and Partners, if applicable).The Muhlenberg County Nutrition Education Program Assistant Senior, Viola Wood taught the Healthy Choices for Everybody curriculum to the 16-20 seniors at the center for a total of eight weeks.  Throughout the series of classes, special emphasis was placed on proper food storage, safe cooking practices: using a food thermometer, crucial for safe cooking practices, importance of hand washing and clean cooking surfaces to prevent cross contamination.  Additionally, understanding the food labels to meet nutritional requirements and understand the expiration dates, so seniors can recognize the difference between sell by, use by, and best by dates on food packaging.  Healthy Choices with a focus on food safety can help seniors learn practical skills in a hands-on environment.  Moreover, prioritizing food safety education, senior citizens can enjoy their meals and leftovers with greater confidence and reduced risk of foodborne illnesses.

Provide the Number and Description(s) of Participants/Target Audience. Twenty Senior Citizens particpated in the program.

Provide a Statement of Outcomes or Program Impact. Please note that the outcomes statement must use evaluation data to describe the change(s) that occurred in individuals, groups, families, businesses, or in the community because of the program/outreach.All seniors in the Healthy Choices for Everybody class completed pre and post evaluations, all seniors showed in improvement in at least one of the food safety area questionnaire questions.  100% of the group showed an increase in food thermometer use.