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Making a Difference in Ellis County – Arlene Hamilton

January 12, 2016 by linda.bice

As a Master Wellness Volunteer (MWV), I worked with the staff at Presbyterian Children’s Home and Services. I created and lead a Single Parent Nutrition Program for the moms living on campus with their children. We meet twice monthly for a healthy meal and discussion using the “Choose MyPlate—10 Tips to a Great Plate” curriculum. Generally we plan the meal around “Dinner Tonight Cooking School” and the ladies participate in the food preparation.

I also planned and led two programs at the Waxahachie Downtown Farmers Market where the MWV provided healthy eating information and a “Meal in a Jar” demonstration. In August, we offered healthy snacks ideas and back to school food safety. I participated in a program for students in the Ennis School District “Give a Kid a Chance”, handing out nutrition information to adults and children. The Ennis School District has a BLT audience of 80%.

As a long time Texas Master Gardener, I became interested in moving beyond growing food and herbs to offering healthy meals and information. This has been a very rewarding extension of my interests in working with local farmers, growers and low income families. My goals are to promote healthy eating and create community gardens on the campus of Presbyterian Children’s Homes and Services and hopefully on the grounds of the local food pantry, Waxahachie CARE.

Filed Under: makingadifference, news

Helping Texans Better Their Lives

Master Wellness Volunteers leverage Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service’s outreach and education related to health, nutrition, food safety, and family wellbeing in the communities where they live and work.

In 2023, Master Wellness Volunteers provided 4,096 hours of service reaching 22,048 Texans.

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