Extension Staff Help Address Food Insecurity in Tazewell County Seven organizations partner with EFNEP staff to provide nutrition education For almost four years, our unit has extended the Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP) to reach not only Peoria but also Tazewell County to help address food insecurity and associated health issues arising from it. EFNEP staff teach citizens at food pantries and local organizations to help them better understand nutrition and strategies for buying healthy food on a budget. Statistics show food insecurity in Tazewell County to be 9.7% for adults and 15.5% for children. The latest population count for Tazewell County was 132,328, which would equate to 12,836 adults and 20,511 children being food insecure.
Often people living in poverty live in food deserts, where healthy food access is not available within close proximity. Lack of healthy food leads to chronic health problems such as diabetes and obesity. People who live in food-insecure areas have twice the rate of type 2 diabetes as other people. Children, the elderly, and ethnic minorities are the groups most affected by food insecurity. Cheryl Russell, EFNEP instructor, currently serves the following
programs teaching nutrition education in Tazewell County: Pekin • Hope Chest Food Pantry • Calvary Baptist Food Pantry • Liberty Baptist Food Pantry • Illinois Department of Human Services • Rogy’s Childcare Pekin and Washington • Housing Authority
HEALTH IMPROVEMENTS Fulton Rehabilitation Center
FOOD FROM THE SOURCE Great Garden Food Detectives
Krista Gray, SNAP-Ed instructor, has met with a group of adults at the Fulton County Rehabilitation Center once a month since July 2018. She teaches Eating Smart/Being Active lessons. All participants are excited to put into practice what they learn. One particular participant reported making significant changes in her healthy food choices and activity levels and has been losing weight.
Fifth grade students at Hensey Elementary in Washington and Spring Lake Elementary in Manito are learning how to grow healthy foods in their school garden. SNAP-Ed Instructors Kellie Roecker and Julie Dantone teach nutrition and basic gardening lessons in the classroom and assist school staff and volunteers in leading the gardening tasks. Students love eating their bounty in the cafeteria.
FULTON, MASON, PEORIA, TAZEWELL 6 YEAR IN REVIEW 2019