Allamakee County Extension to conduct Nutrition Education in area communities
The Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH) and the Iowa Nutrition Network have announced that Allamakee County Extension will provide nutrition education to elementary school children and participants in Elma, Oelwein, and Postville. Allamakee County Extension was contracted to provide the service as part of the Building and Strengthening Iowa Community Support for Nutrition and Physical Activity (BASICS) program.
“We’re excited to partner with Allamakee County Extension in promoting fruits and vegetables and the importance of physical activity,” said Julie McMohan, director of the IDPH Division of Health Promotion and Chronic Disease Prevention. “Allamakee County Extension’s use of traditional education methods combined with unique social marketing strategies will promote wellness and improve the health of their community. In turn, this will have a direct effect on the quality of life and health care costs.”
Funds to support the BASICS grants come from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), known as Food Assistance, totaling nearly 1.2 million dollars in Iowa for the 2009 fiscal year. Communities, like Elma, Oelwein, and Postville, must provide a match of funds and resources.
Eighteen contracts have been awarded across Iowa for the 2009-10 years. Contactors include a wide variety of organizations such as state universities, public schools, county extension offices and local public health departments. Audiences include children, families, and older adults who are eligible for food assistance.
The nutrition education curriculum includes materials from the Pick a better snackTM & ACT program, which has already empowered nearly 20,000 Iowa children to choose fruits and vegetables as snacks and to be active. Also in the curriculum is the Chef Charles Club, a nutrition education project designed to reach older adults at congregate meal sites.
To learn more about the BASICS program, the Iowa Nutrition Network, Pick a better snackTM & ACT, and the Chef Charles Club, visit www.idph.state.ia.us.