Success Story March 2021 DeRamus.pdf

Chandra DeRamus

Success Story – March 2021

The last several months has brought about some new challenges to families and the community at large.  From March 2020 to currently, the virus known as the Corona virus, nicknamed COVID-19, took the world by storm impacting the health and well-being of our nation worldwide.  In the midst of the new pandemic, the world has had to find new ways to adjust daily schedule of the everyday grind of the (8 to 5) hectic schedule.   That challenge was one that plagued several Cooperative Extension agents and educators who conducted educational programs primarily in person.  Their way of connecting with the limited resource audiences switched from meeting in person to only being able to meet virtually online and drop off materials at the organization’s site with no contact.  To meet that challenge Kentucky State University’s (KSU) Cooperative Extension and the extension agents decided to introduce some creative and innovative newsletters in Nutrition Education to reach the limited resource audience within Kentucky by developing electronic newsletters and Grab and Go Bag Initiative programs to use within Hardin County, Kentucky and surrounding counties for youth and adults.   

In order to meet the need of the limited resource audience, one of the Family and Consumer Science (FCS) Agent’s started to create Grab and Go Bags along with the weekly newsletter that is in a digital format that can be printed from on-line to be used as fact sheets or handouts.  The electronic version of the newsletter was shared across multiple social media platforms on-line such as Facebook and Linked-In to reach a wide range of audiences from different social economic backgrounds that the FCS Agent would not normally get to exchange information with in person.  

The on-line initiative has been taking place from April 2020 to current time (March 2021).  There are also several organizations within Hardin County that receive the information via email within Hardin County to include Feeding for America, Communicare, and Warm Blessings and several other organizations.  Feeding for America & Warm Blessings are both organizations that provide food and commodity food boxes to people within Elizabethtown, KY and several of the surrounding counties within the area.  Feeding for America donated over 834,400 boxes of food commodity boxes on last year within the state of Kentucky. Communicare works with helping individuals with behavior problems and helps people deal with stress & mental anguish.  Along with these specific organizations that are targeted throughout the year to receive educational newsletters and Grab and Go Bag materials, on-line users are also able to see KSU’s educational newsletter weekly thru the Hardin County Extension Office’s Facebook page and several other social media platforms such as LinkedIn. 

On last year, the FCS Agent featured various topics within Nutrition education in a series called the Healthy Living Series.  On last year from about July 2020 to December 2020, the newsletter reached approximately 7,300 people thru the on-line social media platforms. Among that 

Chandra DeRamus |  Kentucky State University Cooperative Extension | Hardin County

number an average of about 350 people read the newsletter each week on-line.  The average total of newsletters that have been printed out during the July 2020-December 2020 is approximately 2,500 printed version of the newsletter.  

The audiences who read the newsletters were able to enjoy topics on the following topics: Food Safety Tips, Diet Trends on the Mediterranean Diet, Savings Plans for the Holidays, and How to Keep food Safe during COVID-19 thru Meal Delivery programs.  The newsletter provided updates on how to apply for Snap Ed food voucher benefits, ways to look for jobs, and ways to save money at the grocery store.  So the newsletters provided some nutrition tips that teaches individuals how to make healthier food purchases and save money with savings plan and ways to reduce spending. 

Overall the impact of the newsletters resulted in many satisfied viewers and participants who look forward to either receiving the information on-line or in the paper version of the newsletter thru the Grab and Go bag Initiatives or on-line thru social media platforms. The Grab and Go Bags are brown bags that include a copy of the weekly newsletter in a print form along with various facts sheets and hands on activities that teaches kids about how to eat healthy and how to use problem solving techniques to create a craft activity.   According to an on-line survey, about 85% survey respondents stated that they have learned at least two new concepts about how to eat healthy after reading the Nutrition newsletter in the last couple of months.  In addition, some of those readers have tried a new fruit or vegetable as a result of reading the newsletter articles on Nutrition Education topics.  The overall impact of seeing how much people are getting interested in their nutrition is great!  We do hope to see continued growth by at least 5% in the amount of readers who read the weekly newsletters about innovation and changes to the food industry.     

Pictured Above: Newsletter Title: All About Pumpkins: Techniques in Food Preservation for Pumpkins” created by Chandra DeRamus featured on Hardin County Facebook Page, Kentucky State University Cooperative Extension, Family & Consumer Science Extension Agent 

Pictured Above: Newsletter Title: Living Your Best Life by Changing Your Eating Habits: Smart Food Choices for Healthy Aging,”  Designed by Chandra DeRamus featured on Hardin County Facebook Page, Kentucky State University Cooperative Extension, Family & Consumer Science Extension Agent 

Pictured Left: Video Presentation Preparation at Hardin County Extension Office: “Inexpensive Gifts for the Holidays in a Jar,” Activity for Hardin County Public Library Facebook Video Program, - Chandra DeRamus -Kentucky State University Cooperative Extension, FCS Extension Agent

Pictured Above: Newsletter on: “Tips on Creating a Christmas Savings Plan,” featured on Hardin County Facebook Page, Designed by Chandra DeRamus, Kentucky State University Cooperative Extension Program, Family and Consumer Extension Agent