The Madison County Cooperative Extension Service Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program Assistant has form a new partnership with the Berea Food Bank. The Director of the Food Bank has taken over the reins and ran with the program by expanding his hours of operation for families and has moved to a bigger building. As Berea is an industrial town with many factories working here.
When the Covid pandemic forced the closing of local industry and business in Berea many people were laid off or terminated from employment. With the issues and delays of unemployment insurance it left many families and senior citizens struggling to pay bills and put food on the table. Berea Food Bank’s numbers went from serving 50 families monthly to 300. The Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program was able to supply The Seasoned newsletter for seniors, Chop Chop for kids, and Healthy Choices newsletter for families. These resources gave fun tips ,cooking tips and recipes and a physical activity excerise. When summer produce starting coming he delivered donations of fresh produce with our recipes to housing project. We had plans to have food demonstrations and sampling outside. But maybe we can do that next summer. This agency has helped many families and I am glad to be small part.