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ugust was another busy month doing Policies, Systems, and Environment (PSE) work as well as helping with indoor exhibits at the Coffeyville Interstate Fair, our last local fair for 2019. However, there were opportunities to facilitate some direct education as well. Some of those educational opportunities included:
Post Assessments were completed at the end of July for participants and winding up another successful eight weeks of Stay Strong, Stay Healthy classes in Independence. Members of this energetic class of 15 were often here early and out walking to get some cardio in before the class, and they were an eager and fun group of people to lead in our impactful strengthening exercises. Comparisons of their pre and post assessments showed significant improvements in ability for many, and a number of them pitched in to bring food for a class celebration on the last day. Stay Strong, Stay Healthy never fails to impact lives for the better and I am always excited to find time in my schedule to lead another group!
August 1 was the first day of our latest Dining with Diabetes class series, which we hosted in cooperation with Labette Health at the Rector Diabetes Center on their Parsons campus. What a wonderful facility in which to hold the classes and what a great partner they are to work with! In addition, our 15 participants were an attentive and thoughtful group who asked great questions, which may be one reason a common remark we heard as they stayed to finish their food and chat after each class was: “I learned so much.” I have seen the content of this class literally change lives during the past couple of years, so Dining with Diabetes is also a class series I try to schedule as often as I can. Many thanks to Master Food Volunteer, Janet Rau, for her assistance with the classes.
As a member of the Montgomery County Coalition for Children, Families and Communities, of course I spent August 3 hosting a fun booth at our All About Kids “End of the Summer BASH”. There were lots of activities including health screenings and sports physicals, and also educational booths such as the Wildcat District booth which had information about the five food groups and making healthy food choices for kids and adults. At our booth, kids got to use graham crackers, yogurt and a variety of fruits to create Fruit Funny Faces. The approximately 75 children who stopped by for a snack were invited to count how many food groups were in their creation. A few adults ventured in saying they had heard we had great snacks and also indicated that they would be using our idea with the kids they work with as well. Along with several others, we decorated with a fun Hawaiian theme.
Healthy Eating From Head to Toe was the topic at Montgomery Place where our program drew what I was told was the biggest crowd they could remember for a program. We discussed how various nutrients impact our bodies, and shared ways to ensure we choose the right foods to provide the best nutrition. Residents at Montgomery Place are given several options to choose from for meals, and since many of