Families & Health
Home is where the heart is, and family and home issues are at the heart of Extension personal health programming. Under this heading are the areas of Community Educational Outreach Service (CEOS); Dining with Diabetes; Food Preservation and Safety; The Family Times Newsletter; and Germs Stop Here!.
Dining with Diabetes Cooking School
Diabetes is a common, serious, and costly disease. Many complications of diabetes can be controlled and even prevented by making lifestyle changes – improved eating habits, increased physical activity, and weight management. The Dining with Diabetes program helps adults make lifestyle changes. It is a free program for those with diabetes and their family members. The series of four classes and a three-month follow-up include clinical testing, nutrition information, recipe demonstrations, exercise, and group support. The program is conducted by Extension educators, a health care partner, and community volunteers.
CEOS ~ Community Educational Outreach Service
The West Virginia Community Educational Outreach Service strengthens individuals and families through continuing education, leadership development and community involvement for the betterment of all. The program provides educational opportunities, resources, and materials to assist in the creation of community networks in 51 of West Virginia’s 55 counties. In existence for more than seventy years, the organization has affiliation at the local county level with community clubs, state affiliation through a state council, and national affiliation with the National Volunteer Outreach Network, Inc. (NVON) to bring together state service organizations to share information exclusively for education and service in cooperation with the international organization (ACWW) and (CWC-USA).
Food Preservation and Safety
Extension faculty and staff provide up-to-date food preservation information to consumers and food handlers. They test pressure canners for safety, answer questions, and provide publications about canning, freezing, drying, pickling, and jellies and jams.
The Family Times Newsletter
The Family Times is a series of newsletters for parents of kindergarten children to help them gain knowledge and adopt new parenting practices. Each newsletter focuses on a topic of concern to parents and offers specific recommendations for putting the information into practice in their family interactions.
Germs Stop Here!
Hand washing is a key, often overlooked behavior that is important for food safety, disease prevention, and personal health. Germs Stop Here! is an interactive exhibit/demonstration designed to increase awareness of effective hand washing. It consists of classroom education for youths and Extension activities conducted during fairs, festivals, and community events.
