Health and Human Sciences

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.

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

 PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

 Hello everyone.  Please read through this newsletter to see all the interesting things we are doing.

 Hope to see you at our District Meeting in Sullivan County on October 1^st.

Be sure to check our website: www.extension.purdue.edu/vigo and our FB page: Vigo County Extension Homemakers for news and updates.

 Dates to Remember

 Following are other dates that are important to our groups. 

October 13^th Past Presidents Meeting 11:30am

The Terminal, 820 Wabash Avenue, you may park beside the building, on the streets, or in the lot across Wabash Avenue at the corner.  

October 14^th Sewing Day 10:00am - afternoon

The Community Building, Vigo County Fairgrounds.  Come at 10am and stay as long as you can.  Some bring a sack lunch and take a break around noon.  Others walk over to Culvers.  Please come and leave when you can/ need to.  I appreciate any donation of your time.  (keep track)

October 20-24 IEHA Week

Have you planned any special activities to do during this week?  If so, let me know and I’ll include them in the November Newsletter.

October 25^th Make a Difference Day

Again, if you have any activities planned for this day, let me know and I’ll report it next month.

November 3^rd International Day & Extension Craft Day

(make it, sew it, grow it, bake it)

November 10^th Council Meeting

Thank you to Ruth Ridener, Terri Taylor, Carol Hawn, Becky Smith, Becky Anne Smith, Debbie Brown, and Carlene Nemeth for attending the Sewing Day, September 25^th.  I was called into work so I did not get to participate in this day.  They went through 13 bolts of fabric for receiving blankets & burp cloths and cut out some red felt stockings.  Next sewing day is October 14^th.

 International/Craft Day

Registration is from 9:00 – 9:30

International Country is Switzerland

Each club please bring at least one item (more than one would be great) for the “auction”.  Proceeds to benefit the county treasury.

Our meal will be a sack lunch which includes a ham or turkey sandwich, chips, an apple and cookies.  Cost is $5.25.

Each individual club needs to send your RSVP to Ruth Ridener, County Treasurer, by October 27, 2025.  Make sure to enclose your purple sheet, check, and the meal choice list.

If your club is having a “craft” table, you can come at 8:30 to get your table ready.  If you have any questions, call or text Ruth Ridener at 812-870-2642.

The committee is looking forward to seeing you there.  Come prepared to shop the “craft” tables and to participate in the “auction.”

 Union Hospital

Donations of sleepers (with feet) to Union Hospital is still needed.  Take them to the main entrance Front Desk and tell them the donation is from Vigo County Extension Homemakers and add your club name.

 State President’s Project

Cathy Wilkymacky is asking us to “Share Some Bloom(er)s” this year.  Items can be girl/boy underwear, socks, disposal diapers, and Depends (for nursing homes).  So far this year we’ve had donations to Vigo County elementary schools, a middle school, and nursing homes.  If you have questions, please get in contact with me or your club president.

 While we are donating items for the above, do not forget our own 14 & Chestnut’s 2025 Seasonal Shopping List.  Check the August Newsletter for the list of needed items.  I know there are other organizations that do this type of service to the youth of Vigo County?  Please let me know the names and I’ll include them in future newsletters.

 September Council Meeting

During the Council Meeting on September 18, 2025, Gail Wright gave information on Falling Risks and Dining with Diabetes.  If you attended the meeting, you can give this presentation to your club or another organization.  It will be interesting to see what she presents in the future.

Educator Spotlight

October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month

Every October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month. This year’s theme is “Stay Safe Online”. All of us hear the stories about individuals being “hacked” or “breached”. This month is a time for us to reach out and remind people there are simple ways to protect themselves online.

 When we discuss “cybersecurity” we all focus on our personal computers, but please remember this includes your cellphone, i-pad, tablet, and other online devices. There are many “scams” that are very believable on all of our devices and there are some practices that we should be leery. A couple of those are using un unprotected wi-fi that is open to others. Unless we are using a VPN (Virtual Private Network), it is best not to do banking, pay bills, or make online purchases on that public wi-fi. I am sure many of you can think of others and I would encourage you to share.

 Please remember that we should not become so fearful that we don’t utilize online resources. There are some simple ways to protect yourself online and continue to bank online, make purchases online, and stay socially connected. Small actions can make a big difference. The National Cybersecurity Alliance encourages everyone to utilize the “Core 4” to stay safe online. 

• Use strong passwords and a password manager 
• Turn on multifactor authentication 

Recognize and report scams

Update your software 

Even amidst large-scale data breaches and cyberattacks, these few simple, effective steps can help us stay safe online and protect our personal data.

If you would like more information, go to the National Cybersecurity Alliance (https://www.staysafeonline.org/) and Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) (https://www.cisa.gov/cybersecurity-awareness-month). The lead the campaigns to protect individuals, businesses, and government entities and have many resources available.

 For more information, use the website above or contact Gail at (812) 462-3371.