Jane Byrnes, MS, RD, LD

Kansas

The Wichita Dietetic Association helped the Wichita Health & Wellness Coalition plan and host a Food Day event the weekend of October 13-14. Nationally, Food Day highlights fresh food, and we admire community gardens that combine neighbors, physical activity and the freshest food possible. County extension and Our Local Food-Kansas folks selected six community gardens that still looked vigorous with herbs, chard and other fall produce, The garden I hosted was worked by apartment dwellers, but some of the gardens were run by neighbors and one by a mental health agency. One TV station which covered the event headlined that "Community gardens help reduce crime" by cooperation with neighbors such as the boy scouts who built the compost bins.

Tanja Cutting, MS, RD, CDE, LN

South Dakota

As a Chartwells Mini-Grantee, I used the Family Champions parent cooking toolkit. The Kids Eat Right toolkits are a great tool and our families enjoyed the food and information. 

Danielle Halewijn, RD, CDE

California

Participating in the Kids Eat Right program and receiving the Chartwells mini-grant has been a fantastic experience. Not only have I been able to reach out to my community to offer timely education but I have met so many wonderful families through this program. The most rewarding invitation was from the local Boys & Girls Club; they had planted a community garden and though it was really productive, no one knew what to with the fresh vegetables. With a little help from the chef at our local hospital, we have made a plan to avoid another year of wasted vegetables and to teach our teens how to enjoy vegetables in new ways. Thank you for the opportunity to participate in the grant program. It is a great motivator for nutrition professionals to get out into the community and show the value we can provide in improving health and nutrition habits.

Elisa Huang, MS RD CPT (pictured to the left on photo) and Dorothy Dawn, RD (pictured to the right on photo)

California

The California Dietetic Association’s Public Policy team organized a National Food Day awareness event at Bluewater Grill, a sustainable seafood restaurant in Tustin, CA. Elected officials were invited as guests of honor to mingle with registered dietitians. We also took this opportunity to promote and educate members on various Kids Eat Right nutrition materials to increase awareness of the campaign.

Presenting the Orange District dietitians with an award was Ms. Maggie Moreno, from State Senator Lou Correa’s office. She encouraged the group’s continued efforts so Orange County citizens can reach health goals such as reducing Diabetes Type II and obesity in children. All proceeds from the event were donated to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Foundation Kids Eat Right campaign.

Kansas City Dietetic Association

Kansas and Missouri

Getting involved and learning more about Food Day has been an enlightening experience. We had a wonderful time participating in Food Day events, such as organizing Kansas City wide food tastings, using locally grown and organic foods, as well as hosting an organic urban farm tour CEU. These events have provided us with the opportunity to spread the word and obtain more information about Food Day, the associated benefits, how to get involved, and the impact you can make. It has been a great opportunity to gather resources to refer patients and clients to, as well. We look forward to participating in and further bring awareness to Food Day, in the coming years.

Denine Rogers, RD, LD

Georgia

I was able to conduct a fantastic Food Day Event presentation from the Family Mealtime series at the Heart Centers Hope - food pantry in Riverdale, Georgia which is less than 20 minutes from Downtown Atlanta. The group was so excited and very engaging during the whole presentation. So many questions on how to prepare healthy meals and how to have a well balance lifestyle plan. The Family Mealtime PowerPoint presentation answered everyone's questions and allowed group discussions on changing their families eating habits and their own also.

Lise Sanchez, RD, CD-N

Connecticut

I have been very fortunate to have been awarded three Kids Eat Right mini grants including Healthy Breakfast, Healthy Snacking and Family Champions! The Academy Foundation KER program supports my efforts to fight pediatric obesity at the local level. The comprehensive toolkits include a wealth of information including speaker notes, PowerPoint presentations, handouts and more! I continue to use several of the toolkit handouts in my daily practice. My social media friends and family enjoy receiving the weekly KER messages which I post to Facebook and also tweet about! Being a KER member allows me to work with my peers in a formal, organized way toward the monumental task of reducing the epidemic of obesity by improving the way America's children eat. The Academy Foundation KER Program is a perfect forum for Academy members to join together with a consistent message to the public about improving health by improving nutrition for children and their families. Thank you for empowering me with the tools to get the job done! The KER program and toolkits makes being a KER member easy and I look forward to volunteering for many years to come! I truly believe in the mission of the Academy Foundation Kids Eat Right Program.

Angie Vera, RD, LD

Texas

It is easy to provide education to a variety of audiences using Kids Eat Right materials. Head Start programs are a great avenue to reach parents, children, and staff. I used the Chartwells Kids Eat Right mini-grant to discuss Healthy Snacks with a Head Start audience.

Jennifer Willoughby, RD, LD

Kansas

As a Kids Eat Right campaign member and RD at Children’s Mercy Hospital in Kansas City, I helped to coordinate a Food Day booth for employees and families. We gave away local apples and had people volunteer to pledge to “go local” for the Holidays, which meant for them to buy at least one local food to be used in their Holiday meal. It was a great experience to get everyone involved in Food Day 2012!