Covid-19 presented many challenges for Kentuckians and Butler County families. In Early March 2020, Butler County schools were dismissed for home instruction.  Families faced challenges such as food insecurity, lack of physical activity, poor eating habits, and shopping limitations.  The Butler County Nutrition Education Program Assistant, along with the Butler County Extension FCS, 4H, and Ag Agents tackled this challenge to educate the public in various ways.

The Butler County NEP assistant helped in assembling over 790 grab and go kits that were placed for safe pick up.  They each contained NEP related recipes, newsletters, fact sheets, kitchen incentives, and farmers market guides as well as University of Kentucky Covid-19 fact sheets.  The kits topics covered My Plate, Women’s Health, Food Safety, Fishing, Dairy Month, Exercise, and Vegetable and Herb Gardening.  The Butler County NEP assistant also began teaching virtually via Zoom and has reached over 20 participants through this effort.  The Butler County NEP assistant also distributed NEP materials at school food delivery sites and canning information at the Farmers Market.  During the Dairy Promotion Day at the Butler County Extension Office, the Butler County NEP assistant provided NEP related Dairy information to 1,100 families.

The Butler County Nutrition Education Program Assistant also shared Healthy Choices for Every Body and Chop Chop newsletters as well as NEP recipes via social media on the Butler County Nutrition Education Facebook page.  Each of these efforts were to try to combat food insecurity, increase physical activity, and provide resources to those in need during the pandemic.