Health and Human Sciences
It's as simple as
Food, Family, Money, & Health
The Health and Human Sciences (HHS) Educator delivers educational programs in Vigo County that are evidence and research based, to all community members. HHS Purdue Extension focuses on issues related to families and parenting through programs like our "Strengthening Families Program". HHS Extension delivers health and wellness and food and nutrition programs to help with chronic diseases, like "Dining with Diabetes" and "Be Heart Smart". Through HHS you can also learn about food safety and home food preservation. Where Does Your Money Go helps those who struggle financially get back to basics by learning budgeting.
Contact Us
Purdue Extension Vigo County
275 Ohio St.
Terre Haute, IN 47807
(812) 462-3371
GAIL WRIGHT
Examples of Programming
The Strengthening Families Program: For Parent and Youth 10-14 is an evidence-based program that can help prevent teen substance abuse and other behavior problems, strengthen parent/youth communication skills, increase academic success in youth, help teach youth skills for dealing with stress and peer pressure, prevent violence, and aggressive behavior at home and at school. Ranked as the #1 prevention program out of 6,000 analyzed by the World Health Organization, the Strengthening Families Program consists of 7, 2-hr. long classes comprising of youth, parent, and family sessions.
Session topics included:
- Love & Limits
- Dreams & Goals
- House Rules
- Appreciating Parents
- Encouraging Positive Behavior
- Dealing with Stress
- Following Rules & Using Consequences
- Peer Pressure
For more information, visit https://www.purdue.edu/hhs/extension/strengthening-families-program-for-parents-and-youth-10-14-post-editable/
Each year, about 659,000 people in the United States die from heart disease, that’s 1 of every 4 deaths (CDC)! Purdue Extension’s Be Heart Smart Program helps individuals learn information to prevent and reduce their risk of developing heart disease. Over the course of four lessons, participants will learn about the risk factors associated with heart disease, important numbers to know, heart-healthy eating, and how to make sustainable heart-healthy lifestyle changes.
Be Heart Smart cost $15 to attend. For more information, visit: https://www.purdue.edu/hhs/extension/program6/
According to Gallup, only 1 in 3 Americans use a budget and 30% have a long-term financial plan involving savings and investments for the future. Where Does Your Money Go? Program is designed to help consumers better understand how to spend their money. Taught over two, one-hour sessions, participants learn about financial management practices such as needs vs wants, writing goals, tracking expenses, identifying spending leaks, and how to develop a spending-savings plan. Furthermore, program activities help participants increase their knowledge of money management practices that promote financial stability and adoption of new habits that can lead to financial control.
For more information, visit: https://www.purdue.edu/hhs/extension/where-does-your-money-go/According to the National Diabetes Statistics Report 2020, 34.2 million Americans have diabetes and another 88 million have prediabetes (CDC). Furthermore, people who have diabetes are 2.3 more likely to have greater healthcare cost than people who don’t have diabetes.
The Dining with Diabetes Program is a designed to assist and support individuals who have diabetes as well as their families to help reduce the burden of diabetes by increasing knowledge of healthy foods, tips to prepare quick, healthy, and tasty foods, demonstrating proper cooking techniques, promoting physical activity, building confidence, and providing opportunities for participants to learn from one another.
The cost to attend Dining with Diabetes is $40 per individual or $65 per couple. To learn more about Dining with Diabetes, visit: https://www.purdue.edu/hhs/extension/programs-food-0/#dining-with-diabetes
Extension Homemakers
Vigo County Extension Homemakers
May 2024 Newsletter
Important Dates to Remember
May 6 (Monday) Council Meeting
“Empowering Me to be Clutter Free” - Lesson by Gail Wright
May 7 (Tuesday) Extension Office Closed—Primary Election
May 27 (Monday) Extension Office Closed—Memorial Day
Please extend your sympathy to Diane Smith’s family (member of Fayette Extension Club). She passed away on April 5, 2024. Their address is 5533 Idle Creek Court, Terre Haute, IN, 47802.
THANK YOU
Thank you to the Hearts at Home and Fayette Extension Clubs for doing a great job on the Spring Fling. The building was beautifully decorated. There were 43 women and 2 men in attendance. Several door prizes were won. Tom Cummins was a great speaker and he answered all of our questions. You missed a good time if you weren’t there.
UPCOMING EVENTS
- May 6, 2024 (Mon) Council Meeting. Council officers meet at 9AM and club presidents at 10:00 AM. Gail Wright will do a lesson on “Empowering Me to be Clutter Free” from Noon-1:00 PM. This will be held at the Community Building at the VCFG. Presidents will turn in their Presidential Notebooks. Cultural Arts items are due here and will be voted on with the winner going to Home and Family Conference.
- June 10-12, 2024 (Mon-Wed) Home and Family Conference at Embassy Suites Hotel in Noblesville, IN.
- June 17, 2024 (Mon) Past President Meeting.
- June 24, 2024 (Mon) Achievement Day with Council Meeting to follow. We will meet in the Community Building at the Vigo County Fairgrounds. Registration will be at 9:30 AM and the meeting will start at 10:00 AM. We will have a salad bar for lunch. Small clubs are asked to bring 1 large bowl of salad. Large clubs are asked to bring 2 large bowls of salad. Drinks of tea, lemonade and water will be provided. Prairie Creek and Burnett Clubs are in charge. Please plan on attending.
- July 6-13,2024 Vigo County Fair
CLUB ANNOUNCEMENT
- Monday, May 6, 2024, is Council meeting. Officers meet at 9:00 AM at the Community Building and Club Presidents come at 10AM. Club Presidents need to bring their President Books to turn in. Club Presidents remind your members that it is time to bring items for the Cultural Arts Project. It is anything they have made. They need to bring it to the May Council Meeting to be voted on. The winning item will go to the Home and Family Conference. The Special Project for Home and Family Conference will be a “Table Runner” no wider than 18” across. The length is up to you. The Roll Call will be “Will you do a Fair Display?” Gail Wright will do a lesson on “Empowering Me to be Clutter Free” at Noon-1:00 PM.
- June 24, 2024 (Mon) Achievement Day with Council Meeting to follow. We will meet in the Community Building at the Vigo County Fairgrounds. Registration will be at 9:30 AM and the meeting will start at 10:00 AM. We will have a salad bar for lunch. Small clubs are asked to bring 1 large bowl of salad. Large clubs are asked to bring 2 large bowls of salad. Drinks of tea, lemonade and water will be provided. Prairie Creek and Burnett Clubs are in charge. Please plan on attending.
PAST PRESIDENTS
The Past Presidents Club met on Monday, April 15, 2024, with 14 in attendance. We had a lovely place to meet with great food. We talked about birds and played bird games. Everyone received a packet of flower seeds and a handkerchief embroidered with a bird on it.
The next Past Presidents meeting will be on Monday, June17, 2024. Please note the date change. It will be held at Ellie Oliver’s house at 7470 S. Trueblood Place, Terre Haute, IN, 47802, at 11:00 AM. She, Terri Taylor and Carol Hawn will be the hostesses. Meat and paper products will be provided. You are asked to bring a side dish to share. Bring your swimsuit and enjoy Ellie’s pool and or hot tub.
The Past Presidents Club is an honorary club to pay tribute to those who have served their club as president.
VOCAL CHORDS
The Vocal Chords have an upcoming concert at Central Christian Church on Tuesday, May 7 at 7:00 PM. They will also be performing at MCL Cafeteria on two Fridays in May, May 17 and May 31, at 5:30 PM.
OPPORTUNITIES TO HELP
- On May 7, 2024 we will meet at 10:00 AM in the Community Building at the WVFG to work on baby blankets, burp clothes, etc. If you have a sewing machine please bring it with you if possible. Feel free to share this information with others who would like to help.
- The Vigo County Fair is coming up and there will be all kinds of ways to help. Let Ruth Ridener, Terri Taylor or me know if you would like to help.
OTHER
We will be scheduling another work day for the baby blankets and burp cloths. Please think about coming to help. The more workers we have the less time it will take to get done. Thanks.
SCATTER KINDNESS
Our new State President wants to continue on with the Scatter Kindness Hearts. Let me know if you have done any. Anyone made and scattered any hearts lately?
REMINDERS
- Don’t forget you can collect pop tabs. You can give them to your club president, Sarah Gossett or me
- Don’t forget to turn in any info you would like in the Newsletter by the 15th of the month.
- If you need info on going to the Home and Family Conference let me know.
- If you need Gail Wright to open the building for you when you are a hostess be sure to let her know in advance. She would be glad to do so as long as she knows in advance.
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
- Club Presidents remember to bring your President Book to turn it in at the May 6, 2024, council meeting.
- Don’t forget Home and Family Conference is coming in June. Plan on going and meeting new people and learning new crafts. It is a lot of fun. It is in Noblesville again this year at the Embassy Suites Hotel.
- Each club president is asked to call Jacqui Stanley(765-828-9469) with names to put in the Memorial Part of Achievement Day. You can leave her a voice message.
EDUCATOR SPOTLIGHT
Every year Open Class hopes to have more participation than the previous year. This year, we have made some changes and we need you to help us by promoting and participating!
Help Us Promote!
Changes to the Open Class Book. This year the Floriculture check-in time will no longer have two rounds of First and Second Division. Both Divisions will require exhibits be entered on Saturday, July 6th, 8:30 AM to 2:30 PM. There are also some new categories that participants should be aware of that they may have some interest.
Baker’s Best Flavor is Raisin. Every year we only have a few participants that enter. This year help us encourage those we know to enter in Baker’s Best on Wednesday, July 10. There are four categories to choose from – Cookies, Breads, Cakes, and Pies. Cash prizes are given for the top three in every category and a grand champion and reserve will receive $50 and $25 respectively. If you don’t bake - but love to eat, come buy a treat at the auction that evening at 6:30 p.m.!
BBQ Contest. This is a great opportunity to partner with 4-H on Friday, July 12. In my last two years, we have had 2-3 Open Class entries. Encourage more to participate in this Open Class and show-off their grilling skills.
Help Us – Participate!
Enter in Open Class, Baker’s Best, and/or BBQ Contest. If you have not entered in the past, this is your year! Some of the areas in which you can compete are Food Preservation, Culinary Arts, Fine Arts, Floriculture, Hobby & Crafts, Horticulture, Miscellaneous Foods, Needlecraft, Quilts, Photography, and more. Open Class books and exhibitor numbers are available at the Purdue Extension office located at 275 Ohio Street from 8am - 4pm, Monday thru Friday. Open Class exhibits are open to everyone, including individuals who do not live in Vigo County. The 2024 Vigo County Fair dates are July 6th – July 13th.
Volunteer. “Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.” – Helen Keller. Open Class and the Book Sale happen every year because of a few dedicated people and clubs. This year, we are asking for help - again. All we need is a couple of hours of your time to help on cleaning day, project check-in, judging, check-out, or the sale. There is always some way to help – you do not need special skills or knowledge or physical ability to “lift 50 pounds”. Please just check with Ruth or Gail – there is a place for you!If you would like more information about Open Class, Baker’s Best, or the Open Class BBQ Contest, contact the Vigo County Purdue Extension Office at 812-462-3371 or wrigh509@purdue.edu.
Gail Wright
Extension Educator
Health & Human Sciences