A new subsequent program serving our program participants called Abundant Living will be launched in January 2019 in conjunction with the local NC Cooperative Extension Family and Consumer Sciences Extension Agent. This program will initially utilize “Faithful Families’ Eating Smart and Moving More Lessons, which includes nine sessions on healthy eating and physical activity strategies, including nutrition, meal preparation and cooking, food safety, and increasing daily physical activity. The program also includes additional Chronic Disease Lessons, which focus on reducing risk of four chronic conditions. Through group discussions, recipe taste tests, and activities, individuals and families are encouraged to set goals to lead healthier lives. The curriculum also prompts discussions about changes that can be made in their organization and local community.” This nine session program will be funded by NC Cooperative Extension funds. Long-term programming will address:
1) Healthy Lifestyle
a) Cooking classes integrating fun and healthy recipes (January-February 2019)
b) Fitness “meet-ups” (ongoing)
c) Field trips to grocery stores, local farms, farmers markets (ongoing)
d) Farm to table meal share nights (late spring-fall)
2) Food insecurity
a) Networking with local agriculturally focused groups through schools and NC Cooperative Extension program to install individual home gardens in food desert regions and train recipients on garden care, growth and yield expectations, growing season and harvest timetables, and suitable plantings based on family needs/tastes/size. (seasonally 2019)
b) Canning and food preservation “parties” (seasonally per harvest time 2019)
3) Youth Entrepreneurship
a) Repurposing a local closed business in disrepair into a useable space for a farm stand with subsequent packaging and selling of products raised, produced, packaged, labelled, and marketed by Seeds of Hope kids and youth. (based on funding availability)
1) Healthy Lifestyle
a) Cooking classes integrating fun and healthy recipes (January-February 2019)
b) Fitness “meet-ups” (ongoing)
c) Field trips to grocery stores, local farms, farmers markets (ongoing)
d) Farm to table meal share nights (late spring-fall)
2) Food insecurity
a) Networking with local agriculturally focused groups through schools and NC Cooperative Extension program to install individual home gardens in food desert regions and train recipients on garden care, growth and yield expectations, growing season and harvest timetables, and suitable plantings based on family needs/tastes/size. (seasonally 2019)
b) Canning and food preservation “parties” (seasonally per harvest time 2019)
3) Youth Entrepreneurship
a) Repurposing a local closed business in disrepair into a useable space for a farm stand with subsequent packaging and selling of products raised, produced, packaged, labelled, and marketed by Seeds of Hope kids and youth. (based on funding availability)