Drug abuse in Madison County is slowly becoming an epidemic. The need for prevention and education is in higher demand than ever before. Madison County has been home to Liberty Place Women’s Recovery Center for many years. Graduating hundreds of women every year with an 80% no-return rate. Ladies are taken into the program from a waiting list and live at the facility for 6-9 months before going to “half way housing” that provides unsupervised living with daily support and continuing education. The Snap-Ed (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Education) assistant was asked to teach healthy eating patterns, meal planning and resource management skills to groups ready to move into independent living. Because of the ladies intense class schedule, the center granted the NEP assistant 2 six hour days with a follow up appointment before graduating the program. During these two days the ladies were taught the myplate, knowing the limits, planning meals, reading labels, eating better on a budget, keep food safe, breakfast made easy, cooking is healthy and better beverage choices for everybody lessons.

There were two sessions offered with a total of 30 women ranging in age from 18-55. The two groups combined showed improvement in diet quality, physical activity, food safety, food security and resource management. One group showed nearly 100% in all categories. Most of the participants talked openly about the disparate need for diet education in Kentucky and how they deeply appreciated what they had learned from the assistant. The Ladies also put together “Nutrition Books” that included lessons and recipes and were given kitchen supplies as they moved into independent living.