The Center for Disease Control and Prevention has found that Kentucky ranks as the fifth highest rate of obesity in the nation. In an effort to improve the quality of life for Marshall County residents, the SNAP-ED assistant conducted monthly workshops at the Marshall County Exceptional Center (MCEC) over a period of nine months. The center provides services for residents with mental disabilities. With the help of staff at MCEC, every effort was made to accommodate higher and lower functioning participants in the program. This involved using two different curriculums, one being the “Healthy Choices for Everybody” adult curriculum and the “Organwise Guys” youth curriculum. The SNAP-ED assistant would correlate the “Organwise Guys” lesson to the “Healthy Choices for Everybody” lesson so that every participant had an opportunity to learn and comprehend nutrition and health topics.

Each workshop consisted of a lecture from the Healthy Choices curriculum, a story from the Organwise Guys curriculum, icebreaker games, hands on activities and samples of nutritious foods that involved simple preparation skills. After completing seven workshops, participants were eligible to graduate from the program and receive a certificate of completion for their participation, hard work and involvement. Post-evaluation data showed that 83% demonstrated improvement in one or more nutrition practices such as planning meals and comparing prices, 100% demonstrated acceptable food safety practices and all participants began limiting sugary drinks. The SNAP-ED assistant is hopeful that the skills achieved from this program will continue to help improve the day-to-day lives of these special Marshall County residents.