As you read this article, we will be in full swing for the 2011 Annual Conference, Let’s Keep Moving Toward Better Nutrition. We believe that this year’s conference will be a great educational forum for those who work with the low income population in Pennsylvania. We design the conference based on the feedback we receive from the conference evaluations, please continue to suggest speakers and topics that you want us to have at the conference and we will do our best to get them!

Save the Date: PA NEN’s 2012 Conference is April 24 & 25, 2012

PA NEN’s Conference Committee and staff are already at work on the 2012 Conference and we need your feedback, thoughts and opinions.

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“When is 'healthy me' starting again?” exclaimed students at Port Allegany Elementary School. According to school nurse, Jessica Rohrer, students at Port Allegany could not wait for the nrg for a Healthy Me after school program to kick-off again this winter. 

nrg for a Healthy Me, an eight week after-school program, engages youth in hands-on activities designed to teach them the importance of physical activity, healthy eating and energy balance.      The curriculum also engages families to make small changes at home to achieve energy balance.
 

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During World War I and II, victory gardens were planted in backyards and empty lots partly as an effort to feed our troops. In a slightly new context, gardens are popping up all across Chester County, PA to address food insecurity. The raised bed project of Chester County Food Bank (CCFB) allows community groups and schools to plant gardens that produce food for county food pantries. The project creates a new level of county food sustainability and it seems to be quickly taking “root.” According to Larry Welsch, executive director of the CCFB, there will be nearly 40 sites growing food for the hungry by May and the program is only in its second season.

With the help of the food bank, Owen J. Roberts Middle School students built raised beds in a school courtyard this past September. 

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During February, I attended the Association of State Nutrition Network Administrators (ASNNA) in Arlington, Virginia. Held in conjunction with  the regional SNAP-Ed forum, the meeting was attended by a record 99 participants from nutrition networks, public health departments, cooperative extensions, universities, EFNEP and SNAP programs representing 34 states and the District of Columbia. Representatives from USDA, FNS, SNAP-Ed, the Public Health Institute and the American Dietetics Association participated as speakers. 

Of main interest was the implementation of the Child Nutrition Reauthorization Act (CNR) and the new guidance. Kevin Concannon, USDA Under Secretary for Food, Nutrition and Consumer Services gave an overview of the Child Nutrition Reauthorization Act, updating that the new guidance was currently under review.

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Make healthy the norm! This message echoes loudly throughout the 2010 Dietary Guidelines that were released this past January. Since 1980, a multidisciplinary team of health professionals and scientists gather every five years to bring the Dietary Guidelines up-to-date. This year, the Dietary Guideline Advisory Committee pronounced their overarching charge: Americans need to come together and put these Guidelines into practice!

Previous revisions adopted a scientific and political tone. Not only does this terminology prove ineffective for SNAP eligible and other vulnerablepopulations, but the Department of Health and Human Services found that 9 out of 10 people struggle to interpret such health information.

To address this barrier, the 2010 Dietary Guidelines strove to speak to everyone.

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HARRISBURG -- The Pennsylvania Department of Health has announced three public meetings to receive comments and suggestions about the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC).

According to Acting State WIC Director, Shirley  H. Sword, the meetings will be held from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. on the following dates and locations (subject to cancellation without notice):

Pittsburgh, PA – Tuesday, April 19, 2011, Allegheny County Health Department, Investment Building, 6th Floor, 239 Fourth Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15222

Philadelphia, PA – Tuesday, May 3, 2011, North, Inc., 642 North Broad Street, Suite 101, Philadelphia, PA 19130

Camp Hill, PA – Wednesday, May 18, 2011, Family Health Council of Central PA, Inc., 3461
Market Street, Camp Hill, PA 17011

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The Food Distribution Division of USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service provides USDA Commodity Foods to schools who participate in the National School Lunch Program. On average,
about 15-20% of foods served in school lunches are USDA Commodity Foods. With careful planning, these percentages can be higher. USDA Commodity Foods have been found to be a great resource for school lunch programs but unfortunately it is one of the most complex programs to understand. There to, still lies a stigma behind the word commodities.” The quality and nutritional value of USDA Commodity Foods have improved considerably over the years and now with more whole grain and low sodium products offered it can make important    nutritional contributions to school lunch programs.

USDA Commodity Foods can also be a cost savings benefit to school lunch programs, especially with increased food and labor costs. Typically, schools can see savings from about $.50 to $.86 per plate* by using USDA Foods rather than using food service funds.
 

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Mark your calendars for this year’s summer workshops! Be sure to watch your email for more information regarding these exciting and new summer workshops. There is limited space for all of the workshops so be sure to register early. Registration will open in early May.

July 27th - 28th – Edible Education presented by Amanda Archibald, Field to Plate, to be held at the Adams County Extension Office.

August 18th -19th – Stirring Up Change: Supporting Families & Youth to Embrace Food & Cooking as Nourishment by Lynn Fredericks,  Author of “Cooking Time Is Family Time” and founder of FamilyCook Productions to be held at the Northampton Community College in Bethlehem, PA.

September 15th - 16th – Stirring Up Change: Supporting Families & Youth to Embrace Food & Cooking as Nourishment by Lynn Fredericks, Author of “Cooking Time Is Family Time” and founder of FamilyCook Productions to be held at the Westmoreland County Cooperative Extension Office.
 
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The Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act (http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/PLAW-111publ296/html/PLAW-111publ296.htm) requires activities be evidence-based and outcome-driven, extending beyond the current practices of activity monitoring or reporting. To proactively meet needs of agencies and organizations now held accountable and responsible for delivering outcomes and providing evidence of behavior change, Pennsylvania State University’s (PSU) College of Health and Human Development has organized the Pennsylvania Nutrition Education, Evaluation, and Delivery Systems center (PA NEEDS).

PA NEEDS will assist organizations and agencies as they plan and implement programming and assessment activities utilizing the education, evaluation, health policy, health promotion, statistical, communication, and nutrition expertise of faculty from several PSU departments and colleges, as well as experienced researchers and practitioners from around PA.

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“Bon appétit!” That’s what student Amira says before tasting a new food that nutrition educator Terri Ruff has brought for her class to try. Amira is a 10th grade student in Ms. Nation’s Autistic Support class at Overbrook High school, located in the Overbook section of Philadelphia. Ruff, or “Miss Terri” as she’s known to the class, works for the EAT.RIGHT.NOW. Nutrition Education Program at Drexel University. EAT.RIGHT. NOW. is the official Pennsylvania Nutrition Education TRACKS Program of the School District of Philadelphia.

It can be difficult to introduce new or different foods to students with special needs, and before Ruff started visiting the class, Amira would never eat fruit or vegetables, and especially not any type of 100% juice. 

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PENNSYLVANIA NUTRITION EDUCATION NETWORK

This institution is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

This publication is available in alternative media on request. We are committed to affirmative action, equal opportunity, and the diversity of the workforce. 

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