Dianna Richardson, Aiken County EFNEP Nutrition Educator, just graduated a group of participants from her first online nutrition program for adults. This particular Eating Smart, Being Active (ESBA) program is being conducted 100% through a private Facebook group, a totally new delivery method for EFNEP.
Recruiting adult EFNEP participants is always challenging. However, it became particularly difficult during the COVID-19 crisis since the traditional EFNEP delivery model relies on in-person classes. Dianna was able to recruit her adult participants through her church as well as word of mouth. As participants expressed interest, she would add them to a private Facebook group. The group members would then say that they knew someone who would also love to participate and the membership grew.
“I just want to meet the needs of the public right now,” says Dianna. A lot of her participants stated that they initially joined only to learn new recipes since they are mostly eating from home now. They were pleased to discover that Eating Smart, Being Active classes included far more than learning new recipes. Participants also learned about money-saving tips at the grocery store, how to stretch recipes to feed more people, and how to increase physical activity levels. Like all EFNEP programs, Eating Smart, Being Active classes are delivered at absolutely no cost to the participants.
Submitted by: Hallie Monts, EFNEP Specialist Agent
