Shannon: The Healthy Snack Lady
Shannon Cherry serves as a Maine SNAP-Ed Nutrition Educator in Washington County. In the course of her work, Shannon visits classrooms throughout the school year to deliver interactive lessons that promote healthy eating. She recently shared with us this heartwarming story.
I am just wrapping up my second month of Pick A Better Snack programming so I am beginning to see many more familiar faces in my day-to-day life. While waiting to pick up my son from the after-school program at his school, I ran into a former co-worker who asked what I was doing and how it was going. I told her how much I loved it and that I really felt it was my calling.
In the midst of that conversation, another parent waiting to pick up their child said he was very sorry to interrupt but, he wanted to know if I was the lady that his boys now refer to as the "Healthy Snack Lady" that comes to their classroom monthly? I replied that yes, indeed I was.
He laughed and said he wanted to shake my hand. His boys, who are in first and third grade, have rarely eaten a vegetable without being all but forced to do so. Last month, after their lesson about broccoli and cauliflower, the boys requested to go to the grocery store. They picked out all the items to make a big green salad, with broccoli on top, and ate all of it!
I thanked him for telling me and as the boys came running out of the school they gave me high fives and said "Oh! It's Mrs. Cherry! Guess what, we're asking dad to get us squash tonight!"
I was so excited to hear about the positive impact my work had made on these children and their family. I just had to share!
Maine SNAP-Ed efforts contribute to obesity prevention and overall health for low-income Maine families. They deliver targeted curricula for all age groups from preschool to seniors, SNAP recipients, and those using any local or federal supplemental or emergency food program. SNAP-Ed aims to improve the likelihood that eligible persons will make healthy food choices within a limited budget and choose physically active lifestyles consistent with the current Dietary Guidelines for Americans and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Food Guidance.
Maine SNAP-Ed is funded by the USDA's Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program through a contract with the Maine Department of Health & Human Services and administered by the University of New England in collaboration.
Our Nutrition Educators reach low-income families through long-standing partnerships with local schools, housing facilities, teen centers, Head Start programs, food pantries, grocery stores, and other community-serving organizations.
The Pick a Better Snack program consists of six to eight lessons (taught once per month) that focus on helping children eat more fruits and vegetables. Each lesson consists of two key elements: a nutrition education lesson and a food tasting of fruits or vegetables. This curriculum aims to introduce students to a wide variety of fruits and vegetables and show how fruit and vegetable consumption is important for overall health.
Click here to learn more about Maine SNAP-Ed.