Author: Joan Bowling
Planning Unit: Kenton County CES
Major Program: Promoting Healthy Homes and Communities (general)
Plan of Work: • Home Safety • Going Green • Healthy Homes
Outcome: Intermediate Outcome
The National Soap and Detergent Association, getting rid of clutter would eliminate 40 percent of housework in the average home. The National Association of Professional Organizers reports we spend one year of our lives looking for lost items. 23 percent of adults say they pay bills late (and incur fees) because they lose them. 1 in 11 American households rent a self-storage space and spend over $1000 a year in rent. A 2008 survey of 400 consumers nationwide, 27 percent said they feel disorganized at work, and of those, 91 percent said they would be more effective and efficient if their workspace was better organized. 28 percent said they would save over an hour per day and 27 percent said they would save 31 to 60 minutes each day. These statistics were the basis for the Northern Kentucky Family and Consumer Sciences agents to offer the Area Extension Homemakers Leader Lesson entitled “Simplify Your Life”. The program offered participants the opportunity to listen to a key note and cap note speaker and attend up to 3 of 7 concurrent sessions The Kenton County FCS agent facilitated the event planning process, secured speakers, and conducted the mail-out evaluation. Agents from Boone, Kenton, Campbell, Gallatin, Carroll, Pendetlon, Owen, and Grant counties collaborated to help organize and teach the following topics: Clutter control, financial clutter, de-tangling relationships, digital hoarding, making time work for you, an organized life, reducing food waste, and speed cleaning. Of the 99 participants 47 responded to the follow up mail out written survey five months later. As a result of the program, 85% reported they have reduced spending on the items they do not need and estimate they collectively have saved $8105 since attending the program; 90 % of the respondents have donated or sold unused items estimating the value to be $10,000; 47% have organized financial records; 53% adopted one or more of the Speed Cleaning practices taught; 72% began to track food waste and made changes in purchasing habits; 88% of attendees to de-tangling Relationships have made changes to how they interact socially resulting in reducing overall stress and anxiety. The positive impact the program had on participants validated the need for additional classes in the future to assist people with various types of clutter to reduce stress, save money and conserve valuable time, and resources.
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