Deb Angell, CFCS Extension Educator Family & Consumer Sciences angell.20@ag.osu.edu

Good Foods for Good Health programs are held monthly in partnership with Norwalk Parks and Recreation Department with over 240 total attending.  Each program features a specific food topic and related nutrition, food safety, and food preparation information, food demonstration, taste testing, discussion, handouts, and door prizes.  Norwalk Parks and Recreation provides over $5,000 per year in in-kind services for this program through advertising, registration, providing a site, set-up and clean-up.  An impact evaluation shows a mean increase of 34% on all knowledge and behavior items included.  Ninety-six percent of respondents gave an overall rating to the program of excellent or very good. 

Dining with Diabetes was offered for the first time in Huron County in 2006.  OSUE partnered with Fisher-Titus Medical Center and 88 people participated in three series of classes.  The Fisher-Titus Foundation provided over $500 in support for this educational program that includes a dinner, food demonstration and lesson related to helping diabetics and their families follow a diabetic diet.  A post session survey shows 97% of respondents rated the training as excellent or very good.  Over 90% were able to list at least one behavior change they planned to make as a result of program participation.  

Original Safe Food Handling for Occasional Quantity Cooks training was held 3 times with a total of 65 Extension volunteers and community members attending.  This training is required as a result of the OSUE Food Preparation / Service Risk Management Policy and Procedures.  Pre- and post-session survey results show a 40% increase in knowledge and behavior change of participants.

Family Nutrition Program (FNP), which targets food stamp recipients, has held 116 food safety and nutrition demonstrations for 753 participants.  Nutrition information was sent home to over 100 locations twice this year with the Meals on Wheels program.  FNP reached 340 participants on Senior Celebration Day through a display and demonstration.  FNP was able to work with the Youth Summer Food Program to teach low income children about the importance of good nutrition and exercise as part of a healthy lifestyle.  An average of 70 children attended 11 classes.

Additional FCS Programs in 2006 included six Health and Safety in Family Child Care Training sessions, Child Development and Child Abuse Awareness training for new 4-H volunteers, 4-H Camp Sew Fun, nutrition and food safety programs at 4-H camp, quarterly Educational Baby Showers for WIC clientele, Chef Olympics for 4-H members at the Huron County Fair, FCS Super Clinic for 4-H members, and Perspectives on Parenting classes.  

Connections to Web Sites

The following are some family and consumer sciences as well as some other interesting web sites you may find helpful. When you are on-line, just point and click on the link you want to visit.

• Ohio State University Extension Family & Consumer Sciences
• Senior Series Factsheet Index
• The College Of Human Ecology at The Ohio State University
• Extension WorkLife Project
• The National Assoc. For Family & Community Education
• Managing Your Money
• Ohioline - OSU Information
• OAFCS Home Page
• Cooperative State Research Education & Extension Service 
• Library of Congress World Wide Web Home Page
• Nutrient Data Laboratory Food Composition Data
• Welcome to The American Dietetic Association on the Net!
• Food and Nutrition Information Center
• Food and Drug Administration Home Page