SOUTHERN INDIANA — Nutritious food and access to exercise are key to living a healthy lifestyle.
Accessing these opportunities can be difficult. To alleviate this challenge and improve the health and wellness of our communities, the Purdue Extension Nutrition Program offers a number of programs to educate community members across the state.
Purdue recently released a statewide impact report for last year’s program. In 2023, with 14,813 youth, 6,153 adults served, and nearly $13.6 million in grants, Purdue’s Community Services Coordinators and their partners will impact the lives of her 893,816 people. I did.
Locally, Purdue Extension Floyd County serves Clark, Floyd, and Harrison counties. Last year, the Nutrition Education Program Advisor said through the program he was able to make a significant impact in three counties.
“We strive to make healthy choices an easy choice for Hoosiers,” said Katie Davidson, Community Wellness Coordinator for Purdue Extension Floyd County. “We do it in two ways.”
First, through Davidson, we reduce barriers for people to access food and physical activity.
At Remove Barriers, Purdue Extension Floyd County Nutrition Education Program Advisor Cindy Finner-Flock teaches free classes to people who need help eating wisely and getting more physical activity.
“I educate and advise participants on how to make healthy choices, easy choices,” Finnerfrock said.
Not only do they help people make good food choices and increase physical activity, they also help people who are eligible for government resources like SNAP, WIC, and Medicaid get them. Masu.
To further help those in need, Purdue Extension Floyd County is working with organizations such as Lifespan Resources, Rauch Corporation and school systems to bring classes to those who need them.
Their largest class last year was at the Family and Children’s Place in New Albany. It was a 10-week program where families gathered together to eat in a community-style environment and model table conversation.
“(They) will eat as a family and learn good manners and the nutritional value of the food we serve,” Finnerfrock said.
It was an hour and a half session, and the first 45 minutes were dinner time. After dinner, adults attended community partner education sessions and children attended youth education sessions.
Finnerflock taught adult classes for the first five weeks of the program and switched to youth classes for the remaining five weeks, with both sessions focusing on ways to become healthier.
When Finerfrock was in another class, other community partners came in to teach the class.
“People sit around the table and have conversations and realize that they need food to nourish their bodies,” Finnerfrock said. “But food is what brings people together.”
“We are seeing our programs grow across the board because of the great community partners we have in this area,” Davidson said. “It’s great to see more schools and community agencies taking advantage of the free education programs we offer.”
