Spring 2023 Community Health and Wellness Corner
Kaitlyn Peine, Community Health & Wellness Extension Agent,
The new year has brought a season of opportunity and growth for the community health and wellness program at K-State Research and Extension Douglas County. Our team added two new staff in January. We welcomed our new SNAP-Ed educator, Hilary Kass and our community health and wellness intern, Chassidy Weathers. Hilary brings an impressive background in nutrition education and community connections to our team. Chassidy is a public health student from Baker University studying public health and will be with us through the spring semester.
We have an exciting line up of programming opportunities for the spring. In this section of the newsletter you will find several options to explore health and wellness topics. Research shows us habits are formed by creating small incremental changes. The warmer spring temperatures give us the chance to enjoy the outdoors while getting in our steps. If you are looking to improve your physical activity, be sure to check out the details for Walk Kansas.
Are you looking for new recipes and tips on how to improve your nutrition? Our Med Instead of Meds two class series is the class for you. More information including dates and a link for registration can be found at: Med Instead of Meds. Speaking of eating healthy, be sure to check out Enrique’s article on MyPlate to learn about incorporating a variety of fruits, vegetables, and lean proteins in your diet.
If you are considering planting a garden this spring, you may also want to take a look at the details for our upcoming food preservation workshop. We are fortunate to have Karen Blakeslee, Extension Specialist, joining us to teach a food preservation workshop. For details about the date, time, location, and registration visit: https://bit.ly/40aoLwG
In our winter newsletter I shared an announcement about our Master Food Volunteer Program. We are excited to be offering a new volunteer training in the spring. The training for new volunteers will kick off on Thursday, March 28. Information about joining and the training dates can be found at: https://www.douglas.k-state.edu/health-nutrition/masterfood-volunteers.html Our Master Food Volunteers will also be hosting a kitchen sale on Saturday, April 22. 
The Community Health and Wellness program has a busy few months ahead. I hope to see you at one of our upcoming programs or events.
