Did you know the University of Alaska Fairbanks Cooperative Extension Services has a program that teaches folks how to make their dollars stretch, cook healthy meals and lead physically active lifestyles?
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Education (SNAP-Ed) is a nationwide nutrition education and obesity prevention program funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, people who are overweight or obese, compared to those with healthy weight, are at increased risk for serious diseases and health conditions such as high blood pressure, Type 2 diabetes, stroke, gallbladder disease, sleep apnea, coronary heart disease, mental illness such as clinical depression, anxiety and other mental disorders, many types of cancer, and all causes of death.
The 2022 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System shows all states and territories had an obesity prevalence higher than 20% (more than 1 in 5 adults). Alaska had an obesity prevalence of 32.1% (more than 1 in 3 adults).
SNAP and SNAP-Ed are sometimes confused, but they are different programs. SNAP provides monthly Electronic Benefit Transfer payments to help very low-income households that meet strict qualifications buy healthy food during severe economic hardship. SNAP-Ed helps support SNAP’s mission of addressing food insecurity through strategies such as nutrition education and social marketing campaigns to influence policy, system and environmental changes that support making healthy choices easier.
SNAP-Ed serves people who are eligible for SNAP, but they don’t have to be SNAP participants. There’s no application process. Areas of need for the program across the state are determined ahead of time, and the need is great. The SNAP-Ed program at the UAF Cooperative Extension Service has grown over the years, but serving everyone who needs these services is still a challenge.
Program locations are based on a statewide needs assessment and a local community assessment. In 2020, 86% of Alaska’s eligible population received SNAP benefits. Of the 92,000 people on SNAP, one-third were children. Therefore, most SNAP-Ed programs are where children learn and play, such as in schools and out-of-school programs.
SNAP-Ed aims to help all people with incomes low enough for other USDA assistance — or similar means-tested programs — during hard times and long term by offering three essential services:
• Education: Help people make healthy choices, stretch food dollars, and be physically active for good health.
• Infrastructure: Help organizations, businesses, residents and communities work together so healthy changes are more straightforward, accessible and affordable, primarily through practical changes in policy, systems and environmental conditions.
• Large-scale approaches: SNAP-Ed sponsors social marketing campaigns and supports public-private collaborations to increase the impact of on-the-ground programs. It achieves its purpose by partnering with mission-aligned organizations, whole communities, and whole states.
Are you, or someone you know, passionate about health and wellness? Do you want to empower people in your community to achieve a better quality of life? The SNAP-Ed program seeks enthusiastic individuals to join our team as nutrition educators. The openings are listed at careers.alaska.edu.
Reina Hasting is the program manager of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Education (SNAP-Ed), administered by the University of Alaska Fairbanks Cooperative Extension Service in cooperation with the USDA. Contact her at rhhasting@alaska.edu or 907-474-2437.
