College of Agriculture & Natural Resources
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|Roscommon County | |
|Roscommon County Extension |P: 989-275-5043 |E-mail: msue.roscommon@county.msu.edu |
|112 S. Fourth St., PO Box 507 Roscommon, MI 48653-0507 |F: 989-275-8864 |Web: msue.msu.edu/Roscommon |
| |October 2008 |
|FNP works across community to help stretch food dollars, reduce poverty | |
| |Shoppers look over the wares of a farmers’ market vendor in Roscommon County.|
|This summer was a very busy and productive one for Shari Dickson and the Roscommon| |
|County MSU Extension Family Nutrition Program (FNP). |The RCCF grant was matched with monies from the Area Agency for Services to |
|For the very first time, Roscommon County participated in Senior Project FRESH |the Aging that enabled organizers to provide coupons worth $5000. They were |
|(the Farm Market Nutrition Education program). Dickson, the Roscommon FNP |distributed at each of the county’s three senior centers. |
|associate, received a grant for $2040 from the Roscommon County Community |Nearly 180 households were provided with coupons. In addition, Dickson |
|Foundation (RCCF) to help fund Senior Project FRESH coupons. These coupons can |provided the seniors with nutrition education about the value of fruits and |
|only be used for fresh Michigan produce at participating farm markets. |vegetables in the diet and offered easy-to-use recipes. She supplied the |
| |farmers’ market vendors with handouts for their customers on recipes using |
|A sign from one Roscommon Farmers’ Market booth proclaiming acceptance of Project |fresh Michigan produce. |
|FRESH coupons. |Pardo reported that seniors redeemed coupons worth nearly $3000 at the |
| |Roscommon and the Houghton Lake markets. |
|With the new farmers’ markets in Roscommon and Houghton Lake, this program offered|At one point during Dickson’s visit to the market, one participant came up to|
|a win/win situation. Kathy Pardo, market master for the markets, became received |her and hugged her with tears in her eyes and said, “Thank you so much for |
|Project FRESH certification and could take coupons in payment for fresh fruits and|these coupons, I haven’t been able to afford fresh cauliflower in two years.”|
|vegetables. | |
|These coupons were distributed to eligible low-income adults who are at least 60 |Continued |
|years-old. | |
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|[pic] |Michigan State University Extension helps people improve their lives through an educational process | |
| |that applies knowledge to critical issues, needs and opportunities. Offices in counties across the | |
| |state link the research of the land-grant university, MSU, to challenges facing communities. | |
| |Citizens serving on county Extension councils regularly help select focus areas for programming. | |
| |MSU Extension is funded jointly by county boards of commissioners, the state through Michigan State | |
| |University and federally through the US Department of Agriculture. | |
| | |
|Senior Project FRESH—continued |One example is the Roscommon 4-H Cheerleading Club. Led by volunteer leader |
| |Vicky Alexander of TOWN, the group has grown from five kids last year to |
|Dickson was also involved in a Poverty Reduction Committee for Roscommon County. |include 10 high school-aged members and 14 middle schoolers. |
|One of this group’s goals was to disseminate information about help and resources | |
|available to Roscommon County residents. |They meet for practice three times a week and cheer at the junior varsity and|
|With the county’s unemployment rate standing at nearly 12 percent, people are |varsity home football games at Roscommon High School. During the winter they |
|having trouble paying their utility, grocery and transportation bills. Some |will perform in a few competitive cheer events at the high school as well. |
|residents are having trouble keeping up with mortgage payments and face | |
|foreclosure. |A 4-H basketball program is getting ready to roll for girls and boys in |
|To help address this situation, the committee held its second annual Resource Fair|grades three through six. The girls practice after school and play games on |
|at the Houghton Lake Senior Center on Oct. 11. The fair was funded by donations |Saturdays, while the boys will have group practice on Saturday afternoons |
|from Chase Bank, Bart’s Fruit Market, Wal-Mart, Houghton Lake and Roscommon Glen’s|followed by games at the end of each session. Houghton Lake’s 4-H basketball |
|Markets and other local businesses. |program should begin in December. |
|Nearly 30 venders were on hand to promote resources that are available to | |
|financially challenged people that included employment and work skill services, |Natural Helpers is a peer-helping program designed for middle, junior high |
|food banks, utility assistance, mortgage foreclosure assistance, veterans affairs,|and high school students. It is based on the premise that every school |
|prescription and medical assistance, educational financial assistance, grief and |harbors an informal “helping network” of students and school personnel. |
|recovery counseling and housing assistance. |Natural Helpers uses this network to help young people learn how to help |
|Participants could also enjoy a free lunch served by high school students from the|their friends with everyday problems, refer serious problems to trained |
|Bobcat Café at Houghton Lake High School. |professionals and take good care of themselves in the process. |
|More than 200 people attended the fair. Many completed an evaluation following the| |
|event and stated that they had found the help they needed that day or where they |Three teachers from the Houghton Lake Community Schools attended the Natural |
|could call for help. |Helpers Leader Training in Traverse City on Oct. 27. The Roscommon County |
|The Poverty Reduction Committee members are Dickson, Pam Stephan of the Project |MSU-Extension Office has a Natural Helpers training kit that is available on |
|HOPE food pantry, Tracy Wyszynski of Head Start, John Jansen from Markey Baptist |loan to any leaders who have attended a training and wish to hold a training |
|Church, Karen Slade from the commission on aging, Carol Johnston of St. |session for youth in their school. |
|Elizabeth’s Episcopal Church and Darrell Milner from the Mid Michigan Health Park.| |
| |Roscommon MSU Extension Staff |
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| |Russell P. Kidd County Extension Director, |
|4-H provides youths with life skills on and off the sports field |District Forestry Educator |
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|The 4-H youth development program has a 100-year history in Michigan and is known |Helen A. Fisher 4-H Educator/Recreation Director |
|for sponsoring programs related to such topics as animals, crafts and leadership. |Shari J. Dickson Family Nutrition Program Associate |
|Roscommon County is home to a number of non-traditional 4-H groups that give |Brandi DesMarteaux Family & Consumer Sciences and Better Kid Care Educator |
|youngsters the chance to learn skills that can serve them throughout their lives. | |
| |Melissa Piehl Building Strong Families Program |
| |Susan Seaford Extension Secretary |
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|MSU is an affirmative-action, equal-opportunity employer. Michigan State University Extension programs and materials are open to all without regard to race, |
|color, national origin, gender, gender identity, religion, age, height, weight, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, marital status, family status|
|or veteran status. Issued in furtherance of MSU Extension work, acts of May 8 and June 30, 1914, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Thomas |
|G. Coon, Extension Director, Michigan State University, E. Lansing, MI 48824 |
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