Meet Hilary!
Hilary Kass, SNAP-Ed Nutrition Educator
Hello. I am your new SNAP-Ed Nutrition Educator, and I am very happy to be here. I come to this position after many years in wellness education, cooking instruction, nutrition education, and most recently, food innovation and manufacturing.
SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) provides nutrition benefits to low-income individuals and families that are used at stores to purchase food. SNAP-Ed is the largest, most diverse public health nutrition program in the country, is administered by the Department of Children and Families and the USDA Food and Nutrition Service and implemented by Douglas County Research and Extension. Together, these services ensure access to nutritious foods while helping to pave a pathway to long term success of all people.
SNAP-Ed consists of two main strategies: 1. Direct nutrition, cooking and physical activity education and, 2. Policy, Systems and Environment activities to influence community change. Together these offer a full circle of support to good health for all people.
Direct Education topics include:
- Easy, nutritious meal planning according to My Plate
- Stretching limited food dollars
- Increasing physical activity
- Improving skills for safe food handling and preparation
Currently, Enrique Ortiz, a SNAP Ed Nutrition Educator and I provide direct nutrition and physical activity education to the Lawrence Boys and Girls Club and the Douglas County Senior Center. If you know of a group that would benefit from this type of programming, please reach out to me at hilarykass@ksu.edu.
Policy, systems and environment frameworks focus on eliminating barriers to health by creating fair and equal access for all people to healthy communities of opportunity. Your Douglas County Extension promotes this work through its support and connection with Live Well Douglas County. Here groups work to enhance the physical environment, improve access to healthy food resources, promote health in community spaces such as schools and worksites, and foster economic stability for all residents of Douglas County.
Through this type of work the focus of support shifts from personal health behaviors to social systems that support individuals in choosing positive health behaviors. In the Healthy-Food-For-All work group, members support local efforts to increase and advocate for improved SNAP benefits, ensure adequate transportation to food access points, grow Hunger and Health initiatives to enhance integration of social services and health care, increase fruit and vegetable consumption for all residents of Douglas County, and support local growers through community gardens, farmers markets, and education about growing your own food.
I am looking forward to meeting you in the community and listening to your ideas for ways to continue building a community of support for the optimal health for all our citizens. Together we are building pathways for health equity and well-being for all.
