Sylvia Harris Receives National Award From EFNEP

The U.S.Department of Agriculture’s Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service recently recognized Alabama Cooperative Extension’s Sylvia Harris at the EFNEP 40th anniversary celebration in Washington, DC. Harris, an agent assistant in Tuscaloosa County, was honored for her outstanding service to EFNEP. She received the Participant Category Award.

“Throughout her enrollment and employment, Harris’ overall nutrition and health has been tremendously effected by EFNEP, says Jovita Lewis, an Extension specialist.

From left, Dr. Ralph Otto , Associate Administrator-USDA, presents
National Awards to Jeannine Knepper, Pennsylvania and Sylvia Harris,
Alabama, during the 40th Anniversary Recognition Event for the Expanded
Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP) held on March 9, 2009 in
Washington, D.C. At far right is Helen Chipman, EFNEP National Program
Leader. Ms. Knepper and Ms. Harris were recognized as Outstanding
Participants

In the mid 1970s, Romelia Blackburn, program assistant (now retired), Tuscaloosa County, was recruiting door-to-door in Harris’ neighborhood and convinced her to enroll in the program. Blackburn was one who didn’t take no for an answer and inundated Harris with hands-on recipe demonstrations, nutrition information, newfound knowledge and encouragement. EFNEP’s teachings about a healthy diet influenced Harris to make mealtime changes and include a variety of foods in her diet.

Harris knows EFNEP works. She knows because she has seen EFNEP work in her own life. She credits EFNEP with showing her how to feed her family better. As a young homemaker with small children, Harris recognized that EFNEP was the change agent she needed. Through EFNEP, she learned ways to put foods with more nutritive value on the table and identified shopping tips and recipes that allowed her to stretch her food dollars.

One of the main things that captured Harris’ attention was food preservation taught by Blackburn. “For the first time, I froze more vegetables than ever," Harris shared. It was those nutritious vegetables from the freezer that helped feed Harris and her family during months when fresh vegetables were scarce and money was tight. The canning experience made a lasting impression upon her.

Harris’ success as an EFNEP participant led to her employment as an EFNEP program assistant. Then when Tuscaloosa County’s EFNEP program had to cut back, and Harris lost her position, the job loss did not stop her determination to help others. During that time, she served as a 4-H D.O.T. (Diet’s Our Thing) volunteer and taught young people the benefits of nutrition. The EFNEP program was able to rehire Harris after one and a half years.

In the course of her 29-year EFNEP career, Harris has transformed the lives of nearly 5,000 limited-resource youth and more than 200 limited-resource adults.

Nationally, EFNEP helps more than 500,000 limited-resource families and youth make sound nutrition and health choices annually. The program addresses national priorities such as hunger, health and obesity through an experiential learning process. Participants learn to make food choices that improve the nutritional quality of the meals they serve their families; gain new skills in food production, preparation, storage, safety and sanitation; and learn to better manage their food budgets and related resources from federal, state and local food assistance agencies and organizations. They also learn about related topics such as physical activity and health.

EFNEP participants also experience increased self-worth as they recognize that they can improve the health of themselves and their family.

EFNEP receives Congressionally appropriated funds annually at the state level through land-grant university cooperative Extension programs. For more information, visit www.csrees.usda.gov/efnep.

Source: Jovita J. Lewis, Extension Specialist, jones07@auburn.edu,
334-624-8710

Posted by dreynold at March 30, 2009 01:50 PM | TrackBack