Author: Joy Rose
Planning Unit: Wolfe County CES
Major Program: Nutrition and Food Systems General
Outcome: Initial Outcome
The SNAP Ed Nutrition Assistant was concerned about attracting clients to the virtual nutrition lessons made necessary by the COVID 19 pandemic. Mindful of the increase in food insecurity brought on by the pandemic (an increase of 24 percent in the summer 0f 2020 as compared to the 2018 statistics according to the Feeding America Organization –research@feedingamerica.org) putting food in to the hands of more Wolfe residents was also an aspiration. Fortunately, while attending a community partners meeting with the Wolfe County 4-H Agent and the Wolfe County High School Family Resource Youth Center Coordinator, she was made aware of funding for community projects for youth and their families from the local Alcohol and Substance Abuse Policy (ASAP) organization. The nutrition assistant proposed food kits for the “Heathy Choices” curriculum recipes for the families. The 4-H agent prepared a grant, which was approved and a new project began
Each week a recipe and lesson was chosen from the approved curriculum. The nutrition assistant shopped for the groceries and compiled a grocery kit, containing foods in their original unsealed state, lessons, recipes, and occasionally an incentive from the nutrition education program. Most families signed out these kits at the extension office, for a few without transportation the Family Resource Coordinator delivered. The nutrition assistant conducted a lesson and a recipe demonstration by face book live, for the clients without internet the sessions were recorded on an I-Pad that was loaned. Each week the clients were required to post a photo of their prepared dish either on the face book page or sent by messenger; in order to receive a grocery kit the next week. The successes were: All participants completed all the lessons, additionally each submitted a pre and post test survey. The program was enjoyable for the participants, many requested to sign up again. The online program allowed clients to access the lessons whenever they had free time, we had working clients participate that would not have been able to previously because of their work hours. Finally the partners working together completed a program, that one could not have done, but through the combined efforts a very beneficial and original program was successfully completed.
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