Etherlene Scott

The Robeson County Extension staff, along with dozens of volunteers and hundreds of clients, were singing happy birthday last week.  All week long we were celebrating the 35th anniversary of EFNEP.

EFNEP is the acronym for Expanded Foods and Nutrition Education Program.  EFNEP began 35 years ago as a pilot program by the United States Department of Agriculture to help limited-resource individuals, especially those who receive food stamps, to learn how to better use their food stamps to provide a more healthy diet for their families. In addition, the program was designed to help food stamp users learn how to better manage the stamps they were provided, so they would have ample food for their family for the entire month.

North Carolina was one of the initial states to implement this pilot program. Robeson County was one of the first counties in the state to be selected to participate in the program and still continues this program today, so EFNEP in Robeson County is truly worthy of celebrating its 35 birthday.

This celebration of the 35th anniversary of EFNEP in Robeson County included cake and ice cream at the O. P. Owens Agriculture Center last Tuesday (3rd). All past EFNEP participants, local leaders, representatives of other agencies that network with Extension to deliver this program, and Extension clients were invited to drop by our office during their lunch hour to enjoy refreshments, view a variety of educational booths depicting the many educational topics addressed by EFNEP, and to share their thoughts about the success of this program over the years. During the day, over 200 individuals took part in the celebration, many of them eager to share the benefits of what they had learned when they were enrolled in the program.

The success of EFNEP in Robeson County today can be attributed to two Extension staff members who are dedicated to helping Robeson County residents learn as much as possible about the benefits of a healthy diet. Susan Noble, Extension foods and nutrition agent, is responsible for the supervision of this program. She makes sure the resources that are needed are available, seeks new audiences for the program, and monitors the progress of participants.

Mrs. Etherlene Scott is the EFNEP assistant who actually teaches the foods and nutrition lessons. She works with a lot of individuals, but most of her work is done in small groups. Her teaching focuses on helping families maximize their resources, so they can move from dependence on assistance to becoming self-sustaining. She teaches homemakers the skills they need to maximize their family's nutritional status while conserving their financial resources.

During this past year, 98.5 percent of the individuals she worked with made a positive change in their diets, such as eating more fruits and vegetables. Managing the money that is available for purchasing food items is very important, and 98 percent of her clients indicated they improved their food resource management skills, such as making a shopping list, comparing prices, and planning meals to take advantage of leftovers. Food safety is also a big issue for everyone these days, and 91 percent of her clients reported they improved their techniques for handling foods safely, such as thawing frozen foods in the refrigerator instead of on the countertop. Virtually all of her clients reported improved nutritional practices, such as having their children eat a nutritious breakfast, adding less fat when preparing foods, and reading the nutritional information on food labels before purchasing.

Mrs. Scott has been recognized for the excellence of her educational programs by receiving several state and national awards. She is well respected not only by her clients but also by the many other EFNEP assistants across the state.

EFNEP is but one part of the educational program that your Cooperative Extension Service is providing to the people who live in Robeson County. Etherlene Scott is just one of the shining stars on your Cooperative Extension staff.

If you are interested in participating in the Expanded Foods and Nutrition Educational Program in Robeson County or have any questions related to foods and nutrition, I encourage you to contact Susan Noble or Etherlene Scott by calling 671-3276. I am sure they will be eager to help you in any way possible.

E-mail address: Everett_Davis@ncsu.edu

Mailing Address:
P. O. Box 2280
Lumberton, NC 28359-2280

Phone: 910-671-3276
Fax: 910-671-6278

Date Created 8/18/04