About the Family Nutrition Program

Title:  Program  Assistant, Family Nutrition Program Phone:  937-224-9654  email:  schroeder.20@cfaes.osu.edu

The Family Nutrition Program (FNP) is sponsored by a grant from the Midwest Region Food and Consumer Service, United States Department of Agriculture. The Ohio State University Extension Family & Consumer Sciences Program Leader, Community Nutrition, Extension Food and Nutrition Specialists and program coordinators apply for the Ohio Food Stamp and Nutrition Education grant.  In Ohio the Grant is written as the Family Nutrition Program.  Currently Ohio has 66 of 88 counties participating.  

Montgomery County OSU Extension FNP targets senior citizens and adults without children in the household who may be eligible for food stamps.  In addition FNP includes a monthly WIC Latino Group plus five WIC groups at each of the WIC centers in the Montgomery County Combined Health District.  Family Nutrition Programs are also being held at the Senior Resource Connection congregate meal sites twice a year, the Samaritan Clinic for the Homeless, the Life Enrichment Center, various senior housing complexes, Places Incorporated and other agencies serving adults throughout the county.

FNP is a nutrition education program with a goal of helping qualified participants stretch their food dollars throughout the month. The classes help them develop knowledge, and skills, and change behavior necessary for planning, purchasing and preparing healthy meals.

The goal of food stamps nutrition education is to provide educational programs that increase the ability of food stamp recipients to make healthy food choices and choose more active lifestyles consistent with the USDA Dietary Guidelines for Americans and My Pyramid recommendations.  Programs teach participants about nutrition, food safety, meal planning, and thrifty food shopping.

In the most recent 2005/2006 program year, one hundred and fifty four nutrition, food safety, and thrifty food shopping classes were conducted for a total of 1504 direct contacts.  1,334 of the direct contacts were adults without children and senior citizens while 171 were WIC participants.  85% reported they were planning to make changes as a result of the information they received in the various classes. In Montgomery County, there are 60,166 heads of households living in poverty with only 70% of those receiving food stamps. As a result of the Family Nutrition, 27% of the attending low income participants indicated they would apply for food stamps.  In addition, there were 19,600 indirect contacts with the Family Nutrition News and community outreach programs and health fairs.