Nutrition Education in the Durham Community

DINE for LIFE in the Community provides a variety of services to meet the specific needs of the various Durham communities:

1. Nutrition Education and Culinary Workshops: DINE provides hands-on nutrition and culinary workshops throughout the community in order to reach parents and change community norms. On average, DINE community workshops reach over 1,000 Durham residents per year. Workshops are available for any age group and are tailored to meet the specific needs of each agency's clients. Sites frequently visited include after-school centers (including Boys and Girls clubs), homeless shelters, food pantries and congregate meal sites, daycare centers, Durham Housing Authority sites, faith-based organizations and community centers. Popular workshop topics include:

• Healthy eating on a budget
• Balancing your meals
• Kid-friendly meals
• Heart health
• Maintaining a healthy weight
• Eating healthy on the run
• Label reading
• Food safety

2. ALIVE! Newsletter: A quarterly newsletter is sent to the 17,000 households in Durham County that receive SNAP benefits. The newsletter is written in-house and contains nutrition and health information, quick and easy recipes, tips on how to shop and eat healthy on a budget and activities for children.

3. Train the Trainer: In order to extend the reach of DINE's messages, DINE in the community provides nutrition and culinary workshops to staff of partner agencies, which can, in turn, spread the DINE messages to their clients. Agencies that have been trained to date or have schedule upcoming trainings include:

• Department of Social Services SNAP Program
• Durham Housing Authority
• Organizations that receive food from the Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina - Durham Branch
• Students at the Duke University School of Nursing

4. Health Fairs and Tabling: DINE in the Community is involved in numerous health fairs and tabling events each year. Knowledgeable nutritionists answer your clients' nutrition questions while providing handouts, recipes, educational extenders (ex. pencils & magnets) and taste tests. In addition, DINE set up information tables in waiting rooms and various agencies to help reach clients.

5. Taste-tests & Cooking Demos: DINE provide hands-on, interactive cooking demonstrations and free taste tests to show people that healthy eating can be easy, inexpensive and taste great! Demos are conducted throughout the community in places such as group meetings, special events, exercise classes, fairs, food pantries, soup kitchens, grocery stores, and waiting rooms. Popular taste tests include: turkey wraps, skillet lasagna, stir fry, banana pudding, smoothies, yogurt parfaits, chocolate muffins, and trail mix.

6. Grocery Store Tours: Everyday, many people stand in grocery stores wondering with foods are the healthiest. DINE for LIFE nutritionists guide participants through neighborhood store and teach people how to shop for healthy foods that don't break the budget.

7. Bulletin Boards, Posters, Handouts, & Recipes: DINE provides professional quality posters and bulletin boards to display at various events or in agencies. In addition, DINE provides handouts and recipes for distribution.

All services are FREE of charge to qualifying agencies and groups in Durham County.

Interested in more information or receiving any of these services ???

Contact Kelly Warnock, MPH, RD, LDN

Phone: 919-560-7855

Email: kwarnock@durhamcountync.gov