In July of 2017, my husband, Jason, and I decided to move to Marion County. For me, it was a move "back home." Jason grew up in Pickens County. So for him, it was a move to my roots. When I started looking for a job, I applied at several places. I started with what was familiar.
I grew up, starting in 4-H as young as they would allow. Even though a lot had changed over the years with Extension, I was still very familiar with it because of my 4-H experiences.
I reached out to Mrs. Lisa Murphy about jobs within Extension. She had just filled a position in her office, but told me of other opportunities within Extension.
I applied for several positions and in the process, continued to look for jobs in other familiar places. I had worked in quality control in a flooring plant, then graduated to grading lumber to becoming a lumber yard foreman, so I also tried several businesses in the lumber industry.
I also applied at several large businesses in the area. I was offered a job at one of those businesses, but it was third shift. I appreciated the offer, but was looking for a day shift job, so I kept looking.
I was going to Russellville for a job interview and Mrs. Murphy called me to tell me that she had an Extension Temporary Employment Service (TES) position open.
My husband had always carried our insurance, so when we moved back, I wanted to find a job with insurance, so he could work for himself and be a consultant.
Although the TES position didn't offer insurance, it had the possibilities of leading to a position that eventually would.
I interviewed for the TES position with Extension to teach the Relationship Smarts Curriculum to eighth graders and assist Mrs. Rebecca Danley with 4-H.
I also applied to substitute teach in the Marion County School System. From August to November of 2017, I continued on that path. I had the opportunity to be a TES and a sub.
In November of that year, the SNAP-Ed Educator position came open, so I began to fill in as a TES, teaching Body Quest in Marion and Walker counties.
In the winter of 2018, I went to my first professional development training with SNAP-Ed. It was to learn about the PEARS, the National Program Evaluation and Reporting System launched by the Food and Nutrition Service.
This is the system we use that allows us to report all of our program activities to share our impact with you. If you would like to see our annual reports, you can visit aces.edu/blog/topics/home-family/snap-ed-annual-report/.
I got up every morning, looking forward to a job that made a difference for kids. At this point, that was the majority of my programming with SNAP-Ed. It was primarily focused on Body Quest for third graders. In the spring of 2018, I applied for the full time SNAP-Ed position. I was blessed. I had found my “job with insurance.” What I didn’t realize at that point was everything else I was going to find over the next seven years.
We were encouraged to work in PSE (Policy, System & Environmental) efforts. One of my first efforts was revitalizing a school garden. The garden had been started a few years before with another SNAP-Ed agent. I thought, man, this is easy. We just need to clean up a little, plant some stuff and we’ll be rocking it. Three months into the project, and we came to a standstill.
The school had extremely limited supplies for their garden and wasn’t sure where they could fit it in their school day. I love gardening. I was so excited about it I thought if one school had one, everyone should have one.
I started working with other schools at the same time to “grow school gardens.” Do you know what you need? You need seeds and a lot of other garden “stuff.”
I was in the Walker County Extension Office and the County Extension Coordinator, Danny Cain, told me the seeds that were in our office had come from CAWACO. I reached out to Patti Pennington at CAWACO, and she graciously contributed seeds for the school gardens in Walker County. She also told me I could get seeds from Lauranne James at Northwest RC&D.
I reached out to Lauranne about seeds and met her to get them. It was when I met Lauranne to get seeds that she told me about another program with RC&D. There was funding set aside for Marion County to utilize in school gardens.
I worked with each of the principals in deciding what each school wanted and needed for their gardens. That standstill? Well, it just became a go ahead.
I often use the expression that a stumbling block is only a stumbling block until you turn it into a stepping stone. Thanks to CAWACO and Northwest RC&D’s (Patti Pennington and Lauranne James), a lot of stumbling blocks have been turned into stepping stones.
At our annual fall conference that year, we learned a lot more through professional development about PSE changes.
I started working with coach Gary McCarley, the Brilliant principal at the time, and coach Ryan Sanderson on facility upgrades for the Brilliant High School gym.
Coach McCarley had received the Power to Play grant and planned to use it for a girl’s locker room renovation. Coach Sanderson was working on a project we looked up three grants for.
In the project, one grant application needed to be filled out and submitted. We chose the Northwest RC&D grant. That project turned into receiving a RC&D grant to replace lights in the high school gym. I worked on this project with Coach McCarley and Coach Sanderson, requesting donations, sponsorships, filling out other grants and growing a relationship with the Marion County Board of Education.
I consider what I do an opportunity to make an impact in the lives of others. I also consider it a privilege. I have completed lessons at schools, worked in painting paths and while working in the gardens, students will ask what I am doing the rest of the day when I leave them. I laugh and tell everyone my job is so fun people don’t think I actually work.
August will be eight years since I started this journey in SNAP-Ed. I’m not a big fan of saying, “I.” Although, in SNAP-Ed, it is important to highlight the work we are able to do, so we end up saying “I” a lot.
The truth of the matter is, I believe our gifts are from God, and it’s our responsibility to utilize them to the best of our abilities, giving God the Glory in all things. SNAP-Ed is the means in which HE has allowed me to use my gifts to HIS glory.
In this journey, I have had the honor of partnering and collaborating with some exceptional people. I have immensely enjoyed working alongside and leading some outstanding groups.
Please stay tuned. This story is just getting started, and there’s a pretty good chance you’re a part of it. 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 me at 205-921-3551 or through email at gne0001@auburn.edu.
(Note: Have you seen the impact of SNAP-Ed in your community? Whether it's learning new recipes, making healthier choices or getting active with your kids—we want to hear from YOU! The Association of SNAP Nutrition Education Administrators is collecting stories from people just like you who have experienced the benefits of SNAP-Ed. You can visit aces.edu/go/5111 to share your story and help inspire others!)
See complete story in the Journal Record.
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