ADAPTING FOOD HERO FOR LATINX COMMUNITIES
Presentation Language: English
PRESENTATION LINKS
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The Eastern Oregon Healthy Living Alliance (EOHLA), a health-focused non-profit serving rural Oregon, worked with the Oregon State University Extension Services (OSU Extension) to tailor the Food Hero program for Latinx communities in Malheur, Morrow, and Umatilla Counties. The Food Hero program is an active and growing program for healthy eating resources (recipes, nutrition facts, etc.) that can be accessed online and in-person through OSU Extension. The goal of Food Hero is to reduce the burden of obesity and diabetes that impacts families across Oregon.
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In order to best work with and in communities EOHLA brought communities on-board to help shape the process from the earliest stages. These community leaders helped EOHLA to organize focus groups in neutral locations to gather feedback from Latina moms. Additionally, EOHLA conducted interviews with key stakeholders to better understand healthy eating, physical activity, and food hero perspectives.
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Currently, EOHLA is working with Oregon State University Extension Service and our partners to help change and adapt OSU’s healthy eating materials using the findings from our focus groups and interviews. The final report will be shared with EOHLA’s partners and will be available to the public.
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The mission of EOHLA is to improve community health and support attainment of the highest level of health for all people in Eastern Oregon. To contact EOHLA please e-mail John.Adams@GOBHI.net.
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Learning Objectives:​
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Objective 1:
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Share our findings with community members from across the state to inform future efforts in the healthy eating space.
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Objective 2:
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Provide access to our research methods and findings as appropriate to help others replicate our model.
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Objective 3:
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Network with other providers who are working in this space to share best-practices.
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Objective 4:
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Solicit feedback to help OSU, EOHLA, and our partners best provide for our communities.
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PRESENTERS
ALEXI MCHUGH
Healthy Eating, Active Living Program Coordinator,
The Eastern Oregon Healthy Living Alliance
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Alexi McHugh currently serves as an AmeriCorps member serving rural Oregon. He moved from New York to serve with EOHLA and is based out of beautiful Baker City, Oregon. Prior to his service he worked in New York and Washington, DC while he was studying for his Masters in Public Health.
john adams
Executive Director, The Eastern Oregon Healthy Living Alliance
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Project manager, John Adams, is a founding board member and the current executive director of EOHLA. John has over 12 years of experience working with nonprofit community organizations, including coordinating the Lake County Community Advisory Council, where John implemented several community health projects.
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Additionally, John spent several years directing nonprofit social justice community organizations in the San Francisco Bay area. He received his BA in Political Science from the University of Oregon and received an MA from the Holistic Studies program at JFK University. John has extensive experience working with low-income and communities of color and will oversee project implementation.
Christine mouzong
SNAP-Ed Faculty Research Assistant, Oregon State University Extension Service, College of Public Health & Human Sciences
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Christine Mouzong joined Oregon State University in 2011 as an Ecampus Faculty Instructor in Human Development and Family Sciences (HDFS), and is currently the Outcomes Coordinator for the Food Hero Social Marketing Program with Extension Family and Community Health. Food Hero was developed in 2009 to reduce obesity rates and increase fruit and vegetable intake among limited-income Oregon families by offering fast, tasty, low-cost recipes through the FoodHero.org website, along with policy, systems, and environmental change activities via statewide SNAP-Ed staff. Christine received a master’s degree in HDFS from Oregon State University in 2007, and holds a B.A. in Literature from Pacific University. In addition to Food Hero evaluation and over eight years teaching HDFS courses online, her previous experience includes teaching English as a Peace Corps volunteer in Cameroon, Africa, working as a grant editor for Supplemental Educational Services tutoring programs, and serving as an AmeriCorps volunteer with Title 1 elementary students in the Beaverton School District. Christine enjoys time with family, hiking, swimming, cooking, and watching her three kids play sports.
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lauren tobey
Assistant Professor of Practice, School of Biological and Population Health Sciences, Extension Family and Community Health, Oregon State University
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Lauren Tobey is an Assistant Professor of Practice and the statewide Food Hero Social Marketing Program Coordinator for Oregon State University Extension. Food Hero is a research tested campaign which provides interactive recipe focused demonstrations, along with policy, systems, and environmental change activities aimed at increasing all forms of fruits and vegetables among limited-income Oregonians. Millions of people interact in various ways with Food Hero annually throughout Oregon, the United States and beyond. Lauren holds a M.S. in Human Nutrition and B.S. in Dietetics from the University of Illinois at Urbana - Champaign. Her experience includes several years as a nutrition and lactation educator and manager at WIC clinics in San Diego, working as a Registered Dietitian for the University of Illinois, as an AmeriCorps VISTA for the Oregon Food Bank, and cooking for scientists in Antarctica and athletes and coaches at the Atlanta Olympics. In her free time Lauren enjoys biking, playing soccer, cooking, and wandering the globe with her husband and 2 little girls.
gustavo morales
Executive Director, EUVALCREE
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Gustavo is the executive director of EUVALCREE in Ontario, Oregon, an organization that develops the social capital and leadership capacity of community members. Gustavo is appointed by Governor Kate Brown to sit on three positions as: 1) Commissioner on the Oregon Advocacy Commission-Commission on Hispanic Affairs, 2) Board Member for the Cultural Development Board for the State of Oregon-Oregon Cultural Trust and 3) Member of the Environmental Justice Task Force. He received his Bachelor of Science in Psychology with a Neuroscience emphasis from Pacific University and is completing his Master's in Business Administration from Boise State University. In addition to continuing his education and managing a non-profit organization, Gustavo works as an independent consultant supporting minority owned businesses to improve their economies of scale, develop strategy, competitive advantage and increase business visibility.