Nutrition, Family and Consumer Sciences

The Family Nutrition Program ... strives to improve the nutritional status of families across the county.

• The U of I Extension Family Nutrition Program pro-motes safe and healthy eating by providing nutrition education and materials to food stamp eligible residents.

• Food Stamp Nutrition Education Program is funded with Food Stamp Administrative Funds by the Food and Nutrition Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

• FNP reaches an average of 1100 youth per month at county schools and Head Start facilities.

• Adults are reached at Mason County Family Community Resource Center, Spoon River College Even Start and GED programs, and local community clubs with face-to-face programs.

• Diabetes Lifelines Newsletter is now mailed to over 130 county residents.

• FNP Collaborative Efforts have supported:

- Mason County Coordinating Council by contributing a display at Health Fairs in all county middle schools, reaching 800 youth.

- Mason District Hospital by providing a display at the annual Family Community Health Fair, where 350 people attended.

- Mason County Prevention Team by providing a display at the annual Super Saturday event, where approximately 760 youth and adults attended.

- Mason County Soil and Water Conservation District by co-sponsoring Mason County Discovery Day. The annual event provides conservation information, healthy snacks, and encourages physical activity to 275 Mason County third grade students.

- Havana Early Childhood Council by providing the annual Family Walk Day where 20 families participated in walking and physical activities.

- Havana Jr. High School by providing the annual Safe Trick-or-Treat Night to as many as 500 youth and their families.

Family Life Programs ... provide valuable information in a wide array of issues pertinent to today's families.

• The Working Families newsletter is mailed quarterly to approximately 200 Mason County households, providing important perspectives on balancing work and home.
• Each year, 150 Mason County Family Community Resource Center clients receive weekly instruction on pertinent family life issues via visits with local Extension staff.
• We observed the economic stress on families and provided information on getting through tough financial times via our web site .
• We provided area residents with workshops to help them hone their skills in the kitchen thus saving dollars at the grocery store, and worked with Mason District Hospital to establish quarterly Diabetes support group meetings.