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pril was a month of adapting to a ‘new normal’ way of programming, work, and life. As with March, due to the COVID-19 shutdown, all of my trainings and meetings were postponed, cancelled, or moved to a digital format. Although this limits some of the side discussions that usually arise, having it on a digital platform has allowed voices in some conversations we rarely hear due to schedule conflicts.
With my portion of the SNAP-Ed proposal done for now, April was helping draft the EFNEP 5-Year Plan. Although the 5-year plan is not as labor intensive, partly because some of the statistics were already gathered for the SNAP-Ed document, it still took a significant chuck of time out of the month. Outside of the EFNEP planning, my time was spent taking online trainings to get accustom to the new work environment, touching base with community partners to let them know our status and found out theirs, keeping in touch with my regional FCS unit, and making future plans with my local unit for programming after this ban on face-to-face gatherings is over.
While back in Washington D.C. I got involved in a technology and social media committee for the EFNEP at the national level. Part of the 5-year plan is a technology component. Since everyone is now working remotely and face-to-face programming is at a standstill, this committee has become even more active and timely than we first thought. We discussed digital resources, both those already in use and those needing to be developed. If there are some resources brought up that are already in use, and would be helpful as we try to build capacity in the state and district, I let others know.
Other than the previously mentioned events, my April was full of Zoom(s), GoToMeeting(s), and Microsoft Teams meeting(s). Just because face-to-face is not allowed does not mean my work or the coalitions I am connected to are temporarily on pause. Also, as a result of everything going on, I have built a stronger tie to Dick Horton with SEK-CAP, especially around sharing valuable resources around gaps in the food environment in the Wildcat District.
Heather and Michelle have been tremendously helpful and diligent during this time. Not only have they been keeping in contact with community partners and helping people in the target demographic manage the new normal, they have helped me with the SNAP-Ed proposal, construct a local SNAP-Ed food resource guide, and have sent me other local resources already complied by someone in their counties.
Looking ahead, who knows what the future will hold. I know I will remain busy with webinars, articles, finishing work on the EFNEP 5-year plan, and other activities. As I mentioned, I am involved in a group looking at increasing the use of technology in EFNEP. Given the current issue, the technology group will become more active soon. When life starts to return to a “normal” schedule, I will let you know where all the meetings, classes, and activities land.