My name is Leslie Hildesheim. I work out
of the Fayette County Extension Office as a
SNAP Educator. What I do is teach a SNAP
Ed program which is out the United
States Department of Agriculture. this
program caters to low-income audiences
as well SNAP eligible audiences,
and what we work on is teaching people
how to better their nutrition knowledge
as well as teaching basic cooking skills
that can prevent obesity and type 2 diabetes
in the future. Our partnership came to be when
Megan contacted me via email and we met
for the first time, and that's when we
recognize that we both had a passion for
this particular audience as well as a
interest in what one other does with
different programming. Since our
partnership started we have created a
healthy eating curriculum in which that
we teach cooking classes to Megan's
clientele that have since graduated from
her program. Partnering with Megan has
been beneficial because not only has it
helped me reach a larger audience but it
has helped me gain perspective as far as
who we can help within our community and
how exactly we can better them. It has
been challenging as well as rewarding.
With that being said, we have started new
programs since then and we have tried to
incorporate some of her graduated clientele
into different parts of extension which
include 4-H, AG, and Family Consumer Sciences.
 
This could open doors for individuals
without disabilities as well as
individuals with disabilities because it
can be a collaboration. This is a unique
opportunity for you to step outside your
comfort zone and work with someone that
may see things differently which i think
is something everyone can benefit from.
I had worked with individuals with
disabilities prior. My stepmother, Robin
Hildesheim, actually worked for Almost
Family which is now recognized as Active
Day and it was about 10 years ago and I
was extremely scared. And again, it's
something outside of my comfort zone so
I was actually scared away from this
particular group. There I had worked with
people with severe disabilities. Since
partnering with Megan we have started
our own cooking class.
This has proved that there is a large
spectrum of individuals and they all
need to be recognized because they can
all contribute to different aspects of
your life.
Programming is absolutely the most
difficult part just because you don't
see that sustainability.
However with this group wanting to
continue their education by going into
my different SNAP-Ed programming which
include the cooking classes, you see that
sustainability which is the most
important thing because we know that if
we make those small life changes that
we're willing to make bigger life changes
later on down the road. The purpose of
SNAP-Ed programming is to bring people
together as families. What I always say
when I work with different groups is
that they are extension of my personal
family. I cannot express how important it
is to work with this audience because
they truly do become people that you
care about.
