VIDALIA, La. (KNOE) – As part of National Heart Month, the LSU AgCenter Northeast Region nutrition agents and educators have come together to kick off an event in celebration of a grant from Well-Ahead Louisiana.
Louisiana Well-Ahead promotes health and chronic disease prevention in the workplace. Its grant awarded to the LSU AgCenter Northeast Region is meant to purchase exercise equipment and training to improve the health and well-being of Northeast Region family and consumer sciences (FCS) agents and Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP) educators.
The grant was written in the fall of 2022 by Cecilia Stevens, food systems coordinator for the Northeast Region; Cathy Agan and area nutrition agent for Ouachita Parish; and Quincy Vidrine, FCS regional coordinator.
The CDC has designated four of the 12 parishes in Northeast Louisiana as “hot parishes”, according to Stevens. Hot parishes are areas with the highest levels of obesity in the state.
The grant includes funding for workplace benefits such as kettlebells for cardio and spine improvement, yoga mats for toning and relaxation, and cardio drumming kits. It also includes items for spine and mental health. These items are things such as ergonomic desks and chairs, yoga mats, and training on relaxation breathing activities.
Stevens says the grant will show clients that educators are just as invested in self-care as program participants are.
“One of the most important focuses of the grant is to do something to benefit the health of our educators and SNAP and FCS agents in this region,” Stevens said. “Very often, we are helping others become their best selves and we wanted to do something to demonstrate that we believe in the same type of self-care as well.”
Although the grant is intended to provide equipment to FCS nutrition field faculty and staff, Vidrine said she knows the benefits will be shared with program participants as well.
“I know without a doubt they will be sharing it with the many people in their parishes that they work with,” Vidrine said.
Vidrine said the grant also aims to incorporate region-wide wellness challenges to AgCenter faculty and staff who are interested in getting healthier.
“They are so dedicated to their clientele and Healthy Communities partners, don’t be surprised to see a health and wellbeing revival in the Northeast Region,” Vidrine said.
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