SNAP-Ed closes due to federal budget cuts

For decades, the Oregon Department of Human Services (ODHS) SNAP-Ed program has been a landmark nutrition and healthy behavior education program in Oregon. It directly served approximately 28,000 people each year through classes and workshops and more than 100,000 people at Food Hero community events across the state. SNAP-Ed stands for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Education. ODHS partnered with Oregon State University (OSU) College of Health and Extension Service, as the implementing agency that created and put on many of the programs.

Oregon was a national leader for its SNAP-Ed program. With funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the focus was on helping SNAP-eligible Oregonians stretch their food dollars through about 1,500 nutrition and physical activity classes and programs each year, sharing gardening tips, recipes and resources that celebrated foods and culture, as well as physical activity programs for older adults.

SNAP-Ed traces its origins back to the Food Stamp Act of 1977, which called for the establishment of a national nutrition education program that would enable individuals and families with low incomes to engage in nutritionally sound food purchasing and preparation practices.

However, with the passage of HR1 last year, the SNAP-Ed program budget - of which Oregon received approximately $9.5 million annually - was eliminated. But the resources created by SNAP-Ed aren't going away.

Heather Miles, ODHS SNAP and Food Programs Manager, helped to create some of these programs supports both locally and nationally.

"SNAP-Ed's programs were a response to something people wanted and needed. The local community health organizations and community partners who delivered the services aren't going away. What we created and the reach of the program will live beyond any one program doing this, Oregon has a community of partners supporting this vital work," Miles said.

One example of SNAP-Ed continuing - at least in some form - is the Food Hero website with more than 500 recipes. Other programs, such as those in schools that teach children about nutrition by growing fruits and vegetables, will continue because SNAP-Ed provided teachers training and classroom kits of materials to continue the programming. OSU Extension Service will still be offering nutrition education and physical activity programming, although 70 employees were lost due to the lack of funding.

Those who worked in the SNAP-Ed program for ODHS and for OSU Extension Service talked about some of their favorite offerings.

Adam Rea and Lucy Huffman, SNAP-Ed Coordinators for ODHS, talked about the Grow This! program for students and others.

"The last few years we had an initiative to provide Oregonians with seeds for vegetables. We got the seeds donated and we mailed out the seeds to schools and to people. We had kits for the schools -- trays so they could grow in their classrooms. OSU Extension did the coordination. For many students this was first time they had grown their own food. You know, it tastes better when you grow it yourself," Rea said.

He also highlighted one of the bigger programs called Walk With Ease that was aimed at older adults to reduce pain and improve overall health.

"Walking groups were formed. It gave them a chance to be active and to socialize, things that enhanced their lives," he said.

Huffman talked about the Food Hero website with 100 Kid Approved Recipes and photos. Recipes include such yummy sounding healthy items as Banana Berry Smoothie, Chicken Soup with Tortilla, and Almond Rice Pudding. The children could take the recipes home so they could make them for their families.

"We always had kids vote on whether they liked it. This allowed kids to enjoy nutritional fruits and vegetables. Their favorites were the apple bars, and the brown rice with corn and beans," Huffman said.

From OSU Extension is Allison Myers, Associate Dean for Extension and Engagement in the College of Health; Dusti Linnell, Associate Professor of Practice, OSU Extension Health Program; and Rose Jepson-Sullivan, Nutrition Education Program Manager for OSU Extension Health Program. They talked about some of the outstanding SNAP-Ed programs. OSU Extension has people in every Oregon county.

"It was unique in the country how we served the people of Oregon. We had more than 600 partnerships with schools, senior centers, parks, food pantries, and other community-based organizations to deliver nutrition and physical activity programs," Myers said. She was wearing a shirt with an OSU Beavers logo on it.

Linnell talked about the SNAP-Ed work in Hood River and Marion, Polk and Yamhill counties.

"We trained hundreds of teachers in nutrition education. We paired the students with local farms for cooking and tasting classes. We handed out healthy eating materials to take home. It was also a way for students to get to know their local farmers," she said.

Jepson-Sullivan said, "We want our partners and the public to know that we're still here. We want them to go to Foodhero.org. We want people to be able to find healthy, tasty recipes to put on their table."

Myers said that although the SNAP-Ed program ending is "a tremendous loss, we want people to know that OSU is committed to do as much as we can for the people of Oregon. We are still here. The Extension Service is 115 years old. It just has to look different now. We want everybody to stay with us." Myers said.

Some of the programs in SNAP-Ed included:

• The Better Bones and Balance program which helped adults improve strength, balance, and mobility, aiming to reduce the risk of falls and promote long-term independence.
• Cooking from your Pantry In this online class, participants learned strategies for food resource management and how to make healthy meals. They also learn techniques for storing food safely for later use.
• Cooking for You or Two for older adults
• StrongPeople, a class that improves physical fitness, camaraderie, and lifelong wellness.
• Growing Healthy Kids, a garden-based nutrition curriculum.
• Tasty Tuesday events at grocery stores to promote Food Hero recipes and the Double Up Food Bucks program.
• Community Gardens around Oregon, including at Wy-east Vista. Here, SNAP-Ed worked closely with Master Gardeners, Mid-Columbia Housing Authority, Columbia Gorge Food Bank, and Heritage Heights Housing residents to design and develop a garden site map and construct 20 raised beds.
• Grow This!, a statewide campaign that provided vegetable seeds to Oregonians. Classrooms received growing kits and participants across the state were able to follow along with educational videos and other resources.