By Stephanie Schupska
University of
Georgia
When Sue Chapman considered the best gadgets to represent
Living Well Week March 12-18, she decided to go with a tape
measure, the small roll of plastic and metal that takes the
guesswork out of so many things.
Started in 2002, Living Well Week is a time for special efforts
to educate adults, youths and families on ways to better their
lives inch by inch, dollar by dollar, day by day, said Chapman,
a University of Georgia Cooperative Extension coordinator in
the UGA College of Family and Consumer Sciences.
“For us, it’s a time to recognize the work of our family and
consumer sciences agents and other staff throughout Georgia who
deliver our content,” she said. “Basically, we offer
educational programs and information using a holistic approach
that improves the quality of life.”
Measurements are needed for everything, she said, in “Raising Kids,Eating Right,Spending Smart and Living Well.” That’s the
theme of Living Well Week.
“We’re measuring the impact of chronic disease and nutrition
for all families,” said Nancy Bridges, an FCS Extension agent
in Oglethorpe and Madison counties. She’s also president of the
Georgia Extension Association of Family and Consumer
Sciences.
“In housing, we’re concentrating on energy conservation, home
ownership, first-time home buyers, financial goals, family budgets and savings programs,” Bridges
said.
“For children,” she said, “we’re emphasizing training for child
care providers and foster parents to help them not only to meet
their training needs, but help make an impact on quality of
care.”
Bridges was introduced to Extension as a child through 4-H. But
it wasn’t just the youth program that affected her life and her
family. Her mother also gained valuable knowledge about food
safety, preservation and nutrition from Cooperative
Extension.
“I’ve seen what Extension does to educate people to become
better family members and better citizens,” she said. “It helps
the whole family.”
For more information on living well, contact your county UGA
Extension FCS agent at 1-800-ASK-UGA1. For more on Living Well
Week, visit www.learningandlivingwell.org.
(Stephanie Schupska is a news editor with the University of
Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.)
