2017 Florida SNAP-Education Impact

2017 FLORIDA

SNAP-ED IMPACT UF/IFAS Extension Family Nutrition Program

W

e are excited to share our 2017 Impact Report with you! As Florida’s SNAP-Education program since 1996, the UF/IFAS Extension Family Nutrition Program (FNP) continues to teach Florida’s SNAP-eligible families to make better food and physical activity choices. In addition to providing nutrition education for youth and adults, we implement policy, systems, and environmental changes in the communities we serve to help make the healthy choice the easy choice for our participants.

Last year, we faced some challenges due to an unforeseen budget adjustment and made the difficult decision to reduce staffing and end the program in 14 of our 51 counties. Even with this setback, we increased the number of FNP partnerships compared with the previous year. The collective impact achieved through these partnerships amplified our efforts and helped us to reach more of our target population in the counties in which we have programs.

We are so thankful to work with people and organizations who share our passion for helping Florida’s low-income families. Once again, I invite you to join us in providing quality programming that changes people’s lives for the better.

Shannon Jackson/UF FYCS

WELCOME

In good health,

Karla P. Shelnutt, PhD, RD Principal Investigator, UF/IFAS Extension Family Nutrition Program Associate Professor and Extension Nutrition Specialist Department of Family, Youth and Community Sciences University of Florida

CONTENTS MISSION .............................................................

2

ABOUT THE PROGRAM ..............................

3

OVERVIEW ..................................................

4-5

IMPACT ON INDIVIDUALS ...............

6-9

IMPACT ON COMMUNITIES .........

10-11

PARTNERSHIPS .....................................

12-13

Photography by: Tyler Jones and Camila Guillen of UF/IFAS Communications Front cover: Pamela Qualls Photography The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) provides nutrition assistance to people with low income. It can help you buy nutritious foods for a better diet. To find out more, contact 1-866-762-2237. TTY/TTD/FRS dial 711. This material was funded by the USDA’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program – SNAP. This institution is an equal opportunity provider.

MISSION

We help limited-resource families in Florida access more nutritious food choices on a budget and adopt healthier eating and physical activity habits to reduce the risk of obesity and chronic disease.

ABOUT THE PROGRAM SNAP-Education, the nutrition education and obesity prevention component of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), is provided in Florida by the University of Florida/IFAS Extension Family Nutrition Program (FNP).

In 2017, FNP provided SNAP-Education in 37 counties with a focus on:

Empowering limited-resource families and individuals to take control of their health. Participants learn how to eat healthier on a budget and be more physically active in order to reduce their risk of obesity and chronic disease.

Collaborating with organizations to provide free classes

for people of all ages at locations where they gather. Through FNP classes, children, parents, and caregivers learn to make healthier choices, which can result in reduced healthcare costs, a higher quality of life, and increased productivity in our communities.

Teaching 25 different evidence-based curricula that cover

topics such as the food groups, food safety, nutrition labels, cooking, shopping on a budget, gardening, physical activity, and improving the home food environment. Lessons are based on MyPlate and the 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans.

Many youth lessons align with the Florida Standards.

Changing the environment (through food systems and public health initiatives) in which adults and children make decisions about food and physical activity. For example, we connect community members with local farmers markets that accept SNAP benefits, to make affordable fresh fruits and vegetables more accessible.

U F / I FA S E X T E N S I O N FA M I LY N U T R I T I O N P R O G R A M 3

OVERVIEW 6.7 MILLION Floridians are eligible for SNAP-Education

1 IN 10

Eat fruit less than one time per day

Are obese

People who received nutrition education

128,178

Estimated number of people reached through policy, systems, and environmental changes

1,841,374 $10.5

MILLION

in USDA funding received from DCF

$

HOW

39%

U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 2010-2015.

WHAT

WHY

FLORIDA YOUTH AGES 5-17

$315,213

in donated materials and supplies

Additional funds provided by various state and community organizations.

4 2 0 1 7 F L O R I D A S N A P - E D I M PA C T

Percentage of funds spent on core areas: 80%

3% 17%

FLORIDA ADULTS AGES 18+

43%

1 IN 4

Eat vegetables less than one time per day

90%

Are obese

Do not eat enough vegetables

86% Do not eat enough fruit

Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, 2015; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2016.

Classes taught

27,962 Pounds of produce FNP helped to procure for school cafeterias

76,343

Nutrition Education Policy, systems, and environmental changes Evaluation

160 1,243

Staff members

Partners

37

Counties

Alachua Bay Brevard Broward Calhoun Charlotte Clay Collier Columbia

DeSoto Dixie Duval Franklin Gilchrist Hardee Lafayette Lee Leon Levy

Liberty Madison Manatee Martin Miami-Dade Nassau Orange Osceola Palm Beach Pasco

Pinellas Santa Rosa Sarasota St. Johns St. Lucie Suwannee Taylor Volusia

U F / I FA S E X T E N S I O N FA M I LY N U T R I T I O N P R O G R A M 5

IMPACT ON INDIVIDUALS

W

NUTRITION EDUCATION TOPICS INCLUDE:

hen resources are limited, creating a healthy, low-cost meal can be a challenge.

FNP teaches SNAP-eligible Floridians how to maximize their food resources with practical skills they can use every day. As a result, participants and their families are empowered to lead healthier and more active lives.

FNP teaches hands-on nutrition education classes for all ages.

•• Eating more fruits, vegetables, whole grains, low-fat dairy, and lean protein •• Shopping on a budget •• Using nutrition labels to make healthier food choices •• Safely preparing and storing foods •• Growing fresh produce •• Being more physically active

YOUTH

ADULTS

76,660

51,518

Ages 17 and under reached with nutrition education

Classes taught to youth

Ages 18+ reached with nutrition education

19,564­

6,527 1,871

Classes taught to both youth and adults

6 2 0 1 7 F L O R I D A S N A P - E D I M PA C T

Classes taught to adults

INSPIRING BEHAVIOR CHANGE IN YOUTH The following represents the percentage of students* who reported an increase in the number of days per week they engaged in these healthy activities, after participating in FNP series-based classes:

GRADES 3-5

GRADES 6-12

Physical activity

50%

40%

Eating more than one kind of vegetable

35%

33%

Eating more than one kind of fruit

44%

38%

*Excludes students who reported performing these behaviors every day at the start of programming.

U F / I FA S E X T E N S I O N FA M I LY N U T R I T I O N P R O G R A M 7

IN THEIR OWN WORDS

Here is what some participants have to say about FNP programming:

Not only do I feel better, but my adult children have even noticed a change in my attitude and they thank you too! I am over 80 years old, and I would not touch yogurt. That sample you gave me was actually good!

I eat it for breakfast now instead of pastries and use all kinds of different fresh fruit.

Thank you so much for teaching me how to make a lot of different recipes and that it is important to eat from all of the food groups. Now when I go shopping with my mom at the grocery store, we make a list and try to get items from all of the food groups. Then we go home and cook dinner together as a family!

Your class changed my life! I am very thankful. Had I not learned the tools to make better, healthier choices regarding my nutrition, I was surely on my way to a myriad of health problems. I now have the knowledge to read labels and make meal plans and shop.

8 2 0 1 7 F L O R I D A S N A P - E D I M PA C T

AN OLDER MAN WHO RECEIVED NUTRITION EDUCATION at Family Worship Center Food Pantry, St. Augustine, Fla.

A TEENAGE GIRL WHO ATTENDED A CLASS SERIES at the Edgewater Branch Library Summer Reading Program, Orlando, Fla.

A WOMAN WHO PARTICIPATED IN COOKING CLASSES at UF HealthStreet, Gainesville, Fla.

Pamela Qualls Photography

INSPIRING BEHAVIOR CHANGE IN ADULTS The following represents the percentage of adults* who reported an increase in these healthy activities, after attending series-based classes provided by FNP:

$

Comparing prices more often before buying food

53%

Using the nutrition facts label more often

49%

Eating more than one kind of fruit more days per week

34%

Eating more than one kind of 28% vegetable more days per week

*Excludes adults who reported performing these behaviors every day at the start of programming.

U F / I FA S E X T E N S I O N FA M I LY N U T R I T I O N P R O G R A M 9

IMPACT ON COMMUNITIES

F

NP collaborates with community partners to affect the policies, systems, and environments that shape access to fresh, healthy foods and opportunities for physical activity. These efforts complement and reinforce the nutrition education FNP provides to make the healthy choice the easy choice for Florida families.

EXAMPLES OF HOW WE COLLABORATE •• Connecting farmers with school food authorities to increase the purchasing of Florida-grown foods, which also helps the local economy.

•• Supporting gardens so that schools and communities can grow their own fresh produce and learn about nutrition, gardening, and food safety.

•• Serving on committees that improve wellness policies in communities, schools, and workplaces.

10 2 0 1 7 F L O R I D A S N A P - E D I M PA C T

Angelika Schlanger/FNP

•• Helping childcare centers implement health-related policies and changes that encourage healthy food and drink choices, physical activity, reduced screen time, and breastfeeding.

POLICY, SYSTEMS, AND ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGES

59

144

Healthy school certifications

Gardens installed in schools, childcare centers, and communities

Let’s Move!

Child Care Certifications

4

278

School districts with improved wellness policies

2,577

People* trained on gardening, Smarter Lunchrooms Movement, Let’s Move! Child Care, or food safety

*Teachers, childcare providers, school food service staff, farmers, and others.

U F / I FA S E X T E N S I O N FA M I LY N U T R I T I O N P R O G R A M 11

PARTNERSHIPS

B

y collaborating with state and community partners throughout Florida, FNP is able to maximize the impact of federal dollars, positively affect Florida’s economy, and empower SNAP-eligible families to live healthier lives.

Partners provide a variety of resources, including staff time, expertise, donated goods, and space in which to conduct programming.

TYPES OF PARTNERS Agricultural organizations Adult education and job training sites Childcare centers and Head Start programs City and regional planning groups Community centers Elder service centers Faith-based organizations Farmers Farmers markets Food banks and pantries

Grocery stores Hospitals and clinics Parks and recreation centers Public health organizations Public housing and shelters Public libraries Schools SNAP offices Worksites

1,243 Partners

EXAMPLES OF KEY PARTNERS IN 2017 21st Century Community Learning Centers Action for Healthy Kids Alachua County Farm to School to Work Hub Alliance for a Healthier Generation Boys and Girls Clubs of America CareerSource Florida Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University (FAMU) Florida Agriculture in the Classroom Florida Department of: Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) Children and Families (DCF) Education (DOE) Elder Affairs (DOEA) Health (DOH) Florida Hospital Florida Organic Growers (FOG) Florida State University (FSU) Goodwill Industries Healthy Start Coalition

12 2 0 1 7 F L O R I D A S N A P - E D I M PA C T

Localecopia Nemours Children’s Hospital Police Athletic League Prestige Health Choice Safe & Healthy Children’s Coalition Share Our Strength (Cooking Matters) Tampa Bay Network to End Hunger The 4R Foundation UF HealthStreet UF/IFAS Extension: Florida 4-H Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP) Florida Master Gardener Program Small Farms and Alternative Enterprises UnitedHealthcare United Way University of Miami Winter Park Health Foundation Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) YMCA

IN THEIR OWN WORDS

Here is what some partners have to say about collaborating with FNP:

Frenchtown Heritage Hub’s partnership with the Family Nutrition Program has been invaluable in inspiring our community to eat healthy, fresh food. Your assistance has helped our community garden to flourish. It often provides the ingredients for our cooking demos, which is the most effective way to capture the imagination of our customers, showing them that they too can make simple, delicious recipes from food they’ve grown!

The sidewalk improvements that FNP helped to develop at Franklin Park Elementary School have provided a safe space for our families to walk to and from school. We have seen an increase in students and parents who walk or ride their bicycles each day.

While our 4R Foundation had the passion and capital to revitalize Ocoee High School’s greenhouse infrastructure, it was partnering with FNP that provided the staff, support, and knowledge that really paved the way for the day-to-day success of this program. With FNP’s assistance, the link between how food is grown, processed, and makes its way to the plate, has become a part of the students’ narrative on campus.

LAUREN CHAPPELL MARKET MANAGER Frenchtown Farmers Market, Tallahassee, Fla.

BETHANY QUISENBERRY PRINCIPAL Franklin Park Elementary School, Fort Myers, Fla.

JOHN RIVERS, DIRECTOR AND CHAIRMAN The 4R Foundation, Winter Park, Fla.

Partner with us for a healthier Florida!

Karla P. Shelnutt, PhD, RD, Principal Investigator (352) 273-3535 • kpagan@ufl.edu Lauren Headrick, MS, RD, Program Coordinator (352) 273-3520 • lheadrick@ufl.edu 1408 Sabal Palm Dr., 2nd Floor • PO Box 110320 Gainesville, FL 32611 | uffnp.org

An Equal Opportunity Institution