This story is about a group of tenants in Jefferson County that live in a low income area with no access to a grocery store

with fresh fruits and vegetables,unless they travel miles outside their neighborhood. These people live in an apartment

complex that is run by New Direction Housing. The Expanded Food Nutrition Assistant from Jefferson County Cooperative

Extension Service conducts Nutrition Classes at this center once a month.  Teaching Healthy Cooking and Eating,Food

Safety, Planning Meals and Budgeting and information on different health issues that affect a lot of people. They have a garden,

that they along with the Master Food Gardner maintain and harvest every year.  This was an idea of the tenants to have the

garden. One female tenant who was once always on the go and couldn't attend the classes. She has started to attend the

classes.  She has diabetes and other health issues and wants to learn about eating healthier.

Along with the others in this Nutrition class this tenant has learned about Planning and Budgeting low cost meals, making 

use of fresh fruits and vegetables from the garden.  She states that she has lost 10 pounds and her A1C has gone down

in the last four months.according to her doctor..  Using our curriculum and calendar recipes, following portion sizes and

making healthy choices on her plate.  Every year the tenants have the potluck meal that each individual in the class had

to prepare a healthy food item, from our recipes or their own.  Then everybody has to explain how they prepared their food

they prepared the food item unhealthy vs healthy.  Then everyone sat down and ate the meal.  These tenants enjoyed,

learning and discussing diabetes and hypertension,salt and sugar test tubes.  They learned about my plate, planning meals,

budgeting,keeping food safe,reading labels.  They really liked the Ice Breakers at the beginning of each class and all the

reinforcements and certificate after completing their 7 lessons.