“Many hands make light work.”- John Heywood.
I’m not lazy or complacent by any means, but the more workers and partners you include in a project will allow you an opportunity to do more than you ever thought possible, with a far reaching impact.
As the SNAP-Ed Extension Agent for Marion and Walker counties, I am able to help provide nutrition education and tastings of fresh vegetables, allowing students an opportunity they might not otherwise have.
As grownfolk, most of the time, we feed our kids what we like to eat. And unfortunately, that doesn’t always include fruits and veggies.
I also call this generation the fast food or concession stand generation. We spend so much time at a ball field, gym or park, we’re eating on-site or running through the drive-thru.
One day, I had gone to Hackleburg Elementary School, and the fourth graders were in the hallway for break. When they saw me, they wanted to know what I had for tastings that day and asked me if I had enough for the fourth grade. (They’d gotten to know me from Body Quest classes the year before.) I told them I would see how many were in class.
I taught class, and at the end, when I gave the third graders their bags of broccoli, cauliflower, carrots and spinach, I had some spinach leftover.
I stepped out in the hallway to gather my things and saw one of the fourth graders. I asked if he wanted spinach. He said yes and grabbed a small plate of spinach. Before I could get everything packed up, I turned around and the rest of the fourth grade was in line to get spinach, too.
A lot of times, as adults, we make up our mind our kids aren’t going to eat it because we don’t eat it. I will see kids at ballgames, in schools and in a store, and if I have had them in class, a large majority of them want to tell me what changes they made from the class and what they are still doing.
They are always so excited to tell me about drinking water instead of sodas, exercising more, giving up video time, getting more sleep, eating healthier, helping with grocery store shopping, helping cook meals and much more.
Starting with nutrition education in schools led to a lot of different policy, system and environmental changes. I met with principals, and we talked through starting groups at school for on-site food pantries.
We started these groups at Brilliant High, Hackleburg High, Marion County High, Phillips High and Winfield Journeys. We were in talks at Hamilton Middle when everyone’s second least favorite C word came rolling in (#1 - cancer, #2 - COVID). Talk about a game changer. No one knew what happened, what was going to happen and what we were going to do. What we did know, was that we had to keep going and finding a way to make a difference.
I had the opportunity to pilot a virtual Eat Better Move More curriculum. We piloted this program with Phillips Elementary students. We waited until the evening time, so parents could be home, and kids could use their devices to Zoom. I’m a hugger, so I’d much rather teach in person, but to have a way to see these kiddos and teach them was great.
That summer, I taught via Google meet with programs in Walker County and taught by Zoom with programs in Marion County. I wasn’t able to provide in-person tastings, but communities in Marion County stepped up and showed out.
I sent out email and text messages to friends and family requesting them to purchase healthy snacks, providing them a list. They needed to be pre-packaged to reduce contact. Principals set tables outside the main office for drop off, and the citizens of Marion County understood the assignment.
Mrs. Lesa Enlow packaged squash seeds and planting instructions for each student in summer programs to receive to pick up with the summer meals. Gardeners in our area took the vegetables and fruits they had gleaned and dropped them off at schools on set days so the students would have something to taste on the days I taught virtual lessons.
We learned how to navigate food distributions and changed the structure of pick-up at Feed My Sheep and the Brilliant Food Distribution sites. It was definitely a different type of learning experience.
August 2020…School is in session. Some counties struggled to be allowed back in schools. Marion County Superintendent Mrs. Ann West and Walker County Superintendent Dr. Joel Hagood both offered me the same response. We value you and view you as part of our education system.
What a blessing to have superintendents who know how great the program is that you have an opportunity to provide. If you’ve ever seen us pack our loads and unload at schools or teach a program, we are loaded down. That fall, we were a little extra loaded. We added a plexiglass divider, gloves, masks, shield, more wipes, more hand sanitizer and much more to protect all of us. That fall, I taught the majority of classes at Marion County and added Hamilton Elementary to the Body Quest list. In the spring, I taught the majority of classes in Walker County.
During this time, it offered me an opportunity to continue working with schools in writing grants to assist with PSE changes. I had already talked with Guin Elementary Principal Mr. Josh Weatherly, Hackleburg High Principal and Coach Trey George, and Hackleburg Ag Teacher Brandon McDuffa about a possible greenhouse. We had estimated the cost per square foot. After COVID, the prices of materials were unbelievable.
There’s always a bright spot in darkness. You just have to look a little harder for it sometimes. The bright spot from COVID? It was the funding that areas received. When we revisited the amount it would cost for a greenhouse, even with a grant, we needed help.
I asked Mr. Weatherly and coach George if they minded if I approached Mrs. West on their behalf. They were in agreement. I met with Mrs. West. After she and Mr. Kevin Dulaney talked, she called me back. They asked me to put in a request of what I was looking for.
At that point, I composed an email that requested greenhouses at each school, outdoor classrooms and motion sensor water bottle fill stations. I received a call stating what could be budgeted for with COVID funds for each of the schools. I was beyond ecstatic about this opportunity for our schools and very appreciative of the consideration from the Marion County Board, Mrs. West and Mr. Dulaney.
Each step of these processes took a lot of people. Remember, “Many hands make light work.” All of these changes were grown out of partnerships that all started with a seed!
(Editor’s Note: Please stay tuned for Part III of Growing Goodness. Ginger thanks those who are a part of this story! For more information about SNAP-Ed, please follow the Live Well Alabama, Alabama Extension, Marion County-Alabama Extension Office and Walker County-Alabama Extension Facebook pages. You can also reach out to Ginger at 205-921-3551 or through her email at gne0001@auburn.edu. Readers are also invited to share the impact of SNAP-Ed in their communities by visiting aces.edu/go/5111.)
See complete story in the Journal Record.
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