URBANA, IL (Chambana Today) – For the past 30 years, a program at the University of Illinois Extension has helped people stretch their food dollars, increase their nutrition, and improve their health. Now, that program is at risk of being eliminated.
The program is the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Education (SNAP-Ed), and a University of Illinois Extension press release shared that it reaches over 1 million residents, working with over 1,800 community partners throughout the state’s 102 counties to help make healthy choices and healthy food more accessible.
The SNAP-Ed workforce is housed in Illinois Extension’s portfolio of work under the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental sciences, and has engaged a wide network of local, regional, and statewide partners to provide in-person, community based nutrition education for those that qualify for SNAP assistance. The team also works to reduce the risk of chronic disease by helping make nutritious food choices and active living opportunities more accessible and viable in Illinois.
Jennifer McCaffrey, Illinois Extension’s assistant dean and program leader for Family and Consumer Sciences, emphasized that, “every week, our educators hear from parents who say they finally feel confident reading nutrition labels and stretching their food dollars to make ends meet while providing healthier meals for their families. We work with seniors learning new ways to manage chronic conditions through the food they eat, and with children trying fresh fruits and vegetables for the first time.
She added: “These are real people — our neighbors — whose lives are changed because someone took the time to meet them where they are and offer support. Eliminating SNAP-Ed would erase those touchpoints of trust, progress, and health in communities that need them most.”
The program is at risk after the House of Representatives passed a reconciliation bill, which is currently under consideration in the Senate. The bill proposes ending funding nationwide for SNAP-Ed, including all programs administered through U of I Extension. The Senate’s current version of the bill also eliminates SNAP-Ed funding.