WHEN SHE’S NOT COORDINATING 4-H PROGRAMS, CHERYL LOCKARD WORKS ANOTHER JOB OUT OF UI EXTENSION’S BENEWAH COUNTY OFFICE.

Wearing her nutrition adviser hat, Lockard’s mission is to educate local populations, including the people of the Coeur d’Alene Tribe, about nutrition, food safety, and resource management. In practical terms this covers everything from wise food buying, storing and preparing food safely, to planning meals, learning new recipes, and budgeting.

“One of the biggest challenges is learning how to plan meals using ingredients from the Commodity Supplemental Food Program,” said Lockard.“People sometimes aren’t familiar with how to prepare some of the food types that are available.” Commodity foodstuffs often include such items as farina, oats, canned meats, fish, fruits and vegetables.

Throughout the state, Lockard and other Extension educators initiate and sustain community-based partnering to deliver food and nutrition related services. “I helped Tribal Head Start put on a workshop the other day. It was mainly for the little kids,” Lockard noted, “but I reached out to the parents and signed some of them up for the program.” She has also found ways to facilitate food assistance through her 4-H activities. These and other efforts represent a partnership between federal, state and county governments, local schools, non-profit agencies, extension offices, and others.

To reach those in need, food assistance workers like Lockard set up information tables and demonstrations in public places such as food stamp offices and at health fairs. Clients are also referred from Health and Welfare offices, Head Start, St.Vincent De Paul, and Habitat for Humanity, as well as food banks, local senior and day care centers, and community action agencies. Besides making one-time contacts with food stamp recipients and other needy individuals, Idaho’s nutrition advisers canvas a variety of venues seeking to enroll potential clients in longerterm educational programs. In northern Idaho’s District 1 alone, from October 2001 to March 2002 almost 12,200 information handouts were distributed, 3,845 direct contacts were made, and 936 lessons were taught.

Idaho’s Extension Nutrition Program (ENP) has created a curriculum of some 18 classes dealing with food and nutrition management applied in daily living. In District I,Kootenai County Extension Educator Shelly Johnson and ENP Supervisor Kali Gardiner administer and help implement nutrition education programs. Among their responsibilities are training paraprofessional nutrition advisers and designing outreach strategies.

As a nexus of human services assistance programs in North Central Idaho, the Tribal Wellness Center in Plummer houses a number of these and like programs.The Center supplies space for Head Start,WIC (Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children), TANF (Temporary Assistance to Needy Families), and many other healthcare and education agents—including Johnson. There, Johnson has helped implement the food education curriculum for children known as Team Nutrition.

“It’s designed to teach kids good eating habits,” said Johnson. “We introduce them to a variety of foods and try to make them aware of the benefits of fresh foods, whole grains and nutrition in general.” An essential component of Team Nutrition teaching is providing hands-on experiences to children, Johnson believes.“When they can actually see, touch, and taste the samples we bring in, kids are much better able to understand and retain what they learn about it.” A key outcome of Team Nutrition classes results in children bringing newfound knowledge back home to their families.

Another Wellness Center affiliate is registered dietician Brenda Bodnar, who provides nutritional clinics for area residents, liaison with TANF, diabetes intervention and other services —and works as an ENP nutritional adviser. She gets a daily up-close look at the interactive nature of community partnering. “Diet counseling by itself won’t do much,” Bodnar said. “You have to deal with the big picture.”

Lockard agrees. “It’s exciting to work with this group [of providers],” she said. “And it’s very rewarding to spend time with the families, in their homes. Even though they start out with very limited skills, they’re so open and willing to learn.”