National Nutrition Education Program.

Has Helped New Yorkers for 30 Years

WHEN CHARLIE ROCK HILL a single father of two young teenagers, lost his job after a back injury, his income plummeted to $148 a week, which he supplemented with $86 a month in food stamps.

"After buying a few TV dinners and a few meals at a fast food restaurant, we had nothing left for food within four or five days," says Rockhill of Lansing, N.Y. "I felt almost suicidal at times, having no idea how I was going to feed the kids for the rest of the month."

But Rockhill found a way by joining the free Expanded Food and Nutrition Program (EFNEP), a 30-year-old Cornell Cooperative Extension program. After about 16 weeks of classes and one-on-one training on how to make food dollars stretch, plan and prepare nutritious meals, shop wisely, prepare a budget, and improve family communication through food preparation, Rockhill says his life changed drastically.

Rockhill, who now volunteers for EFNEP, stuffing envelopes, chopping food for demonstrations, or helping teach a class at a local food pantry, says, "EFNEP really made a major difference in our habits, communication, eating, and behavior patterns. I wish more people knew about it because it could really make a difference in people's lives,

"Everything we do now at home is completely different, from spending a lot more time together, drinking skim milk, and cutting out junk food to having a family meal without the TV on," says Rockhill, who went from 300 pounds after his injury to 220 pounds after improving his diet with his new nutrition knowledge. "I'm so much closer to my kids. Now, it's the end of the month, and I still have $17 left for food. That was unheard of two years ago."