A Louisiana delegation recently participated in a weekend training at the National 4-H Center at Chevy Chase, Md. Participants were, left to right, Tabitha Leonards, member of Acadia 4-H and state 4-H Food & Fitness Board; Denise Holston-West, LSU AgCenter instructor and state 4-H Food & Fitness Board adviser; and Lanette G. Hebert, AgCenter regional 4-H coordinator and state 4-H Food & Fitness Board adviser. News Release Distributed 05/13/13
The LSU AgCenter 4-H program will share in a $2 million grant from the Walmart Foundation to help teach healthy living and eating choices.
The Walmart Foundation has supported the 4-H Healthy Living programs for several years with grants totaling $4.3 million to 4-H since 2009.
Louisiana 4-H will receive $65,000 to implement its third year of the program, Fit4TheFuture. The program will be conducted by 4-H teen leaders along with adult volunteers and 4-H agents.
Louisiana 4-H will use the money for outreach by the state 4-H Food & Fitness Board and a weekend Food & Fitness camp. Parishes can receive mini-grants for local activities.
A Louisiana delegation recently participated in a weekend training at the National 4-H Center at Chevy Chase, Md. Participants were Tabitha Leonards, a member of Acadia 4-H and the state 4-H Food & Fitness Board; Denise Holston-West, AgCenter instructor and state 4-H Food & Fitness Board adviser; and Lanette G. Hebert, regional 4-H coordinator and state 4-H Food & Fitness Board adviser.
LSU AgCenter 4-H Department head Mark Tassin said Louisiana 4-H is committed to becoming a leader in reversing the trend of childhood obesity. “It is critical that we offer interactive, hands-on programming that teaches young people the importance of physical activity and proper nutrition,” he said.
The 4-H Youth Voice: Youth Choice program in Louisiana will engage young people and their parents by focusing on healthy eating habits based on the “MyPlate” dietary guidelines provided by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The program also will include developing community gardens and improving access to fresh fruits and vegetables while offering information about the benefits and nutritional properties of different foods.
Other states to receive funding from the Walmart Foundation are Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Mississippi, New Jersey, New York, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia and West Virginia, in addition to Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands .
Bruce Schultz