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WHAT IS EFNEP? <br /> <br />The Expanded Food and Nutrition Education <br />Program (EFNEP) is administered by the Coop- <br />erative Extension Service. EFNEP reaches fami- <br />lies with incomes at or below the poverty <br />threshold, or families that qualify for federal <br />food assistance programs (WIC, Food Stamps, <br />AFDC, Head Start, free or reduced school <br />lunches) when these families have school-aged <br />or younger children living at home. Pregnant <br />women who qualify for WIC also qualify for <br />EFNEP. <br /> County Extension Home Economists super- <br />vise the nutrition program assistants (trained <br />paraprofessionals) and volunteers who teach <br />enrolled homemakers and youth in a nutrition <br />education program. The goal of EFNEP is to <br />help families and youth to acquire knowledge, <br />skills, attitudes and changed behavior necessary <br /> <br />for nutritionally sound diets, and to contrib- <br />ute to their personal development and the <br />improvement of the total family diet and nu- <br />tritional wellbeing. <br /> <br />HOW DOES THE <br />PROGRAM WORK? <br /> <br />The Nutrition Program Assistant teaches <br />small groups and individuals, both in the <br />community and in the home. Participants <br />learn such topics as food safety, choosing <br />healthy foods, cooking from "scratch," meal <br />planning, food storage and sanitation. Youth <br />programs may also include such topics as fit- <br />ness, avoiding substance abuse and home <br />safety for latchkey children. Program priori- <br />ties include greater cooperation with other <br />agencies, both public and private. EFNEP <br />offers group programs for hard-to-reach au- <br /> <br />WHERE DOES THE MONEY COME FROM? <br /> <br />Since 1969, EFNEP has been federally funded by the <br />United States Department of Agriculture/ through the <br />Cooperative Extension Service. The funds are allocated <br />annually, based on the percentage of poverty in each state. <br />Some state, county, and community support is provided in <br />the form of office space, professional and clerical staff, <br />teaching equipment and shared office supplies. <br /> <br />WHICH COUNTIES <br />HA VE EFNEP? <br /> <br />Bertie Buncombe Gaston Surry <br />Onslow Cabarrus Gates Duplin <br />Orange Cherokee Halifax Martin <br />Pasquotank Chowan Harnett Swain <br />Perquimans Cleveland Hertford Durham <br />Pitt Columbus Lenoir Transylvania <br />Robeson Cumberland Macon Mitchell <br />Sampson Currituck Madison Forsyth <br /> <br />Wayne <br />Mecklenburg <br />Edgecombe <br />Wake <br />Northampton <br /> <br />diences, such as pregnant and parenting teens, <br />families in temporary shelters, prerelease women <br />prisoners and children in after-school care <br />groups. Innovative projects include family day <br />camps for parents and children; programs for <br />pregnant teenagers; self-awareness/esteem pro- <br />grams for adolescents; and fitness/weight con- <br />trol programs at work sites. <br /> <br />WHAT DO THE <br />NUMBERS SHOW? <br /> <br />During the five years ending in 1992, the <br />EFNEP program reached a total of 20,814 adults <br />and 28,164 youth in North Carolina. Annually, <br />the teaching by 110 Nutrition Program Assistants <br />is supported by over 2,000 volunteers, who give <br />about 30,000 hours. At a minimum dollar value <br />of $5.00 per hour, the value of EFNEP volunteers <br />amounts to almost $150,000 per year.' <br /> In 1989, EFNEP signed cooperative agree- <br />ments with each of two state agencies: WIC and <br /> <br /> <br />