Partnership for a Better You
Author: Melissa Pilcher
Planning Unit: Boone County CES
Major Program: Accessing Nutritious Foods (general)
Outcome: Intermediate Outcome
Brighton Center is a non-profit organization on a mission to create opportunities for individuals and families to reach self-sufficiency through family support services, education, employment, and leadership. Through a partnership with the Campbell County Extension Nutrition Education Program, over seventy five adults attended thirty plus classes last year. The classes held within seven different Brighton Center programs, reached seniors, single parents, preschool parents, food pantry and commodity recipients as well as youth within the youth leadership group. Each lesson focused on the collective needs of each individual group. Using the Healthy Choices curriculum, topics as varied as basic cooking terms, cooking meals for one or two, reading food labels to positively influence health concerns and creating a meal plan to avoid food waste were covered. According to beginning and exit data from a national reporting system, 55% of participants reported eating vegetables more often each day and 54% reported exercising for at least thirty minutes a day more times each week. Best of all, these programs are scheduled on a recurring basis so many more families will continue to benefit for this partnership for years to come.