Spotlight

Karen Ekdahl, Bellingham Childcare & Learning Center, Bellingham, Washington

Spotlight

Maranda Parker, (former) Health and Fitness Education Specialist, White Birch Community Center, Henniker, New Hampshire

All children should have the opportunity to grow up healthy. In the United States, many adults and children spend a lot more time than we should sitting and watching screens. And even though we know better, children and adults don’t always eat as many vegetables and fruits or lean meats as we should. There are a lot of reasons why—fresh fruits and vegetables can be expensive, and often times we are so busy that we don’t have time to cook foods from scratch. We also spend a lot of time in our cars, rather than walking places. Maybe it’s because there are no sidewalks where we live, or neighborhoods are not safe or the closest store is miles away. Unfortunately, the consequences of these behaviors can be long-term illnesses and obesity.

Spotlight

Practice-Based Coaching

Spotlight

Tammy Kaiser, Director of Temple Beit Ha Yam Early Childhood Learning Center, Stuart, Florida

Access to food is a critical part of disaster response and recovery. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is part of the national response network and provides Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (D-SNAP) benefits to those with low to moderate incomes (who typically do not qualify for food assistance support) based on disaster-related expenses like loss of income from time off or relocation, property damage, relocation costs, and other expenses.