Do You Have Food $ense: Building Healthy, Resilient Communities through Sustainable Partnerships
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Date
2019-04
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Ohio State University. Office of Outreach and Engagement
Abstract
The purpose of the Do You Have Food $ense program is to develop a collaborative partnership between OSU Extension, a faith-based mobile food pantry, and a local health care provider to address the food insecurity, health disparities and social determinants of health.
Description
Food insecurity continues to be a chronic problem in our community as reported by Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) data and local food pantry usage data showing a 12 percent increase in the number of individuals seeking food assistance between 2013 and 2018. The 2015 Impact of Chronic Disease in Ohio report outlines eight disease burdens, four behavioral risk factors, and three clinical risk factors that reduce the quality of Ohioan's’ lives. In fact, Ohioans spend more per person on health care than all but 17 states. However, Ohio ranks among the highest in cancer deaths (41 percent), cardiovascular deaths (37 percent) and diabetes (45 percent). The purpose of the Do You Have Food $ense Program is to develop a collaborative partnership between OSU Extension impact areas, a faith-based mobile food pantry, and a local health care provider to address the food insecurity, health disparities and social determinants of health. Common missions bond all partners. Each partner's goals are to: strive to eliminate multiple daily struggles for low-income families living in areas where access to affordable and nutritious food is limited; empower families with education, support and services to make healthier food choices and improve their lives; engage participants to acquire, practice and implement sustainable food selection and preparation skills; provide the most effective emergency assistance continuum for low-income individuals and families in need. The aim of the program is to educate participants from a faith-based mobile food pantry about the importance of planning and preparing nutritious meals. Instruction is based on the principles from MyPlate food guide and incorporates information from Extension's SNAP-Ed lesson plans. The informal atmosphere of the sessions encourages participants to openly share personal experiences about providing and preparing food for their own families while reducing food insecurity. The program consisted of six theme sessions held June-November 2016. The sessions provide an opportunity for group discussion focusing upon a designated topic and incorporated participant's input reflecting ways to improve current choices emphasizing healthier lifestyle choices. Teamwork is emphasized between Extension educators and SNAP-Ed program staff building a program delivering a meaningful message that participants can immediately put into practice. The local team not only includes the Extension educator and SNAP-Ed staff, but also the agriculture and natural resources educator. The local health care provider performs bio-metric screenings at each monthly session. Evaluation includes both pre and post-assessment data. Evaluations reveal both knowledge and food preparation skill gains. Participants documented success stories include; tasted new foods and incorporated them into weekly family menus; now read labels; and perform physical activity more frequently. Local health provider data will be available December 2018.
AUTHOR AFFILIATION: Margaret Jenkins, assistant professor, OSU Extension, jenkins.188@osu.edu (Corresponding Author); Nanette Neal, OSU Extension educator, agriculture and natural resources
AUTHOR AFFILIATION: Margaret Jenkins, assistant professor, OSU Extension, jenkins.188@osu.edu (Corresponding Author); Nanette Neal, OSU Extension educator, agriculture and natural resources
Keywords
mobile food pantry, food insecurity, gardening, social determinants of health, partnerships
Citation
Engaged Scholars, v. 7 (2019).