The 2019 Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) is a new illness that was first identified in December 2019, with patients reporting cases of fever and acute respiratory illness. Since that time, other countries, including the U.S., have seen cases of the illness. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Mason County EFNEP set-up "Brown Bag Projects" for community members in Mason County. These brown bags are free and champion at-home learning for youth, adults, and families to help during the crisis. The brown bag initiative highlights programs and lessons from the Healthy Choices newsletters, Chop Chop newsletters, and the Eat Smart to Play Hard Youth Tool Kit. Inside the brown bags, community members will find instructions and materials to complete the lesson/project. 

EFNEP has large totes outside of the Mason County Extension office, Meadowdrive housing and Beechwood housing filled with the bags. The response was amazing. To date EFNEP has provided 350 brown bag projects to the community.  

Kentucky’s poverty rate is 19%, and Mason County is slightly under this at 18.2%.  This along with transportation issues leaving residents disconnected and unable to obtain resources provided at the Extension office led to the release of a newsletter to the low-income housing communities in Mason County regarding the brown bag projects. The newsletter highlights what Cooperative Extension is, who we serve, upcoming virtual classes/events, and our brown bag programs. This provides education opportunity to low-income neighborhoods during this crisis. The totes are refilled at the housing authority once per week. EFNEP is hoping to gain new audiences that will continue to utilize Extension well after we get through this pandemic together.