About Us
County Impact Statements - Pulaski County
AR Families Matter
"I find that my presence in the Pulaski County limited resource areas where I
teach has motivated the homemakers to try to eat healthy, and some even read
their food labels. The best effort I can report is making the communities a
healthier and safer place." - Ann Phillips, Nutrition Program Assistant
The AR Families Matter Program teaches limited resource Pulaski County
families to stretch food dollars. Two programs, the Family Nutrition Education
Program (FNEP) and the Expanded Food Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP) help to
provide a critical "safety net" for families in order to prevent the risk of
Pulaski County children going to bed hungry.
The AR Families Matter Program supports the goals of welfare reform by
assisting families in learning about: 1) proper nutrition for growing children
and adults; 2) food safety; and 3) food security. Extension nutrition education
programs also focus on reducing the risk of diet related chronic diseases among
Pulaski County residents by helping clientele adopt improved dietary practices.
The cost for treating and caring for people with these diseases (heart disease,
cancer, stroke and diabetes) and lost productivity resulting from illnesses and
premature death is estimated at $3.9 billion yearly.
Impacts
- 633 limited resource families with 2205 family members were enrolled in
a program learning nutrition, food safety and resource management in 2000.
- 91% of enrolled families showed improvement in at least one food group
after a year in the nutrition program.
- 95% showed improvement in at least one food group after a year in the
nutrition program.
- 96% showed improvement in one or more food resource management
practices.
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