25% of Metcalfe Countians live below poverty according to 2015 KY Cabinet for Health and Family Services data.  The county has 1 homeless shelter and it is owned by Bowling Park. The shelter can house up to 6 individuals, and most days of the most it houses at least 2.  People who are without a home may stay in the shelter for 1 month.  While there, park staff helps them with resources for housing and food.  The park contacted the SNAP- Education Assistant in the county to work with these individuals on becoming healthier overall.

The assistant goes every week and teaches the Healthy Choices for Every Body curriculum.  At the beginning of each session, new people must fill out an enrollment which includes listing all the food and drinks they've had in the past 24 hours.  The assistant then teaches the lesson that was scheduled.  At the next meeting, the assistant teaches the next lesson/s that are needed based on what has been covered with that group up to that point.  Participants are learning how to eat better on a budget, how to plan for food spending, food safety, limits on foods, basic myplate facts, how to cook meals.  Each week, the assistant does a food demonstration in the shelter kitchen with help from the participants. Recipes are from the curriculum or the food calendar and all are affordable and healthy. This program has been very successful.  Participants are eager to learn when they are in the shelter because they have reached a very hard point in their life and are ready to try something different.  Most of them don't know how to cook.  Most are very happy to learn how to cook a few basic dishes.  They also show improvements on all areas that are taught due to their willingness to get out of the situation.  Many are also dealing with chronic health conditions and are excited to learn that changing their food choices may help them reduce their weight or reduce the symptoms of their illness.  When doing the budget lesson, one person said, "I've never looked at it this way before, but it sure helps!"