UConn Extension SNAP-Ed: Building Healthier Communities Across Connecticut

UConn Extension’s SNAP-Ed program empowered Connecticut residents with limited resources to make healthier food choices, improve diet quality, and increase physical activity. Through education, partnerships, and policy, system, and environmental (PSE) changes, SNAP-Ed addressed food insecurity and promoted lifelong healthy habits.

Our Reach and Impact

• 147,727 total participants engaged through in-person and digital education, resources, and outreach.
• 411 educational sessions delivered in schools, community sites, and online.
• 43,188 adults and seniors reached through programs at public housing sites, senior centers, farmers markets, and grocery stores.
• 5,963 preschoolers and parents participated in early childhood nutrition and dental health lessons.
• 3,108 school-aged children and adolescents benefited from interactive lessons, cafeteria tastings, and Farm to School activities.
• 93,651 individuals accessed fact-based nutrition information, recipes, and videos via Healthy Family CT and social media.

Food Security Project Highlights

• 3,083 participants engaged in 260 sessions focused on food safety, cooking, menu planning, budgeting, and physical activity.
• 3,000 additional participants reached through targeted food security initiatives.
• 75+ community partners collaborated to expand access to healthy foods.
• 792 adults received nutrition education at food banks, pantries, and mobile pantries through 27 in-person sessions.
• 916 families participated in tailored SNAP-Ed lessons delivered in 118 sessions.
• 1,375 older adults improved produce consumption and physical activity through 115 Seniors Eating Well seminars.

Between 10.4% and 17% of Connecticut residents struggle with food security issues, and food prices have risen 25% since 2019. SNAP-Ed helped families stretch food dollars, incorporate more fruits and vegetables, and adopt healthier habits—reducing chronic disease risk and improving overall well-being. UConn Extension’s SNAP-Ed program was committed to helping Connecticut families spend smart, eat well, and feel great.

About SNAP-Ed

The SNAP-Ed Program was for people who received USDA SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) benefits. We provided a collection of fact-based food and nutrition resources for parents, adults, and children; available in both English and Spanish, on a variety of nutrition topics including how to feed your family healthy foods on a budget. 

Success Story: Seniors Eating Well Farmers' Market Nutrition Seminars

A successful partnership between a local farm, a senior center, a local farmers' market and SNAP-Ed brought older adults better health. Older adults reported eating more fruits and vegetables and moving more after participating in nutrition seminars and visiting a pop-up farm stand onsite at their local senior center.

The UConn Extension team held nutrition seminars and pop-up farm stands directly at the senior center and that helped increased older adults nutrition knowledge and increased their physical activity. 94% of participants plan to increase their fruit and vegetable consumption after SNAP-Ed nutrition classes. Transportation was provided for those in need by the senior center. The Seniors Eating Well Farmers Market Nutrition Seminars educated seniors using the USDA curriculum Eat Smart, Live Strong with a focus on eating more fruits and vegetables, and moving more.

The Seniors Eating Well Farmers Market Nutrition Seminars sought to improve the produce consumption and physical activity levels of older adults over age 60 years old. Lessons included ways to incorporate fruits and vegetables in their diet using budget friendly meals.

In 2022, UConn Extension's team offered five seminars with 89 participants in the program, for a total of 242 occurrences of participation. The program addressed food security by increasing access to fresh food and increasing buying power by providing older adults with $20 certificates to purchase local produce. The $20 produce certificate was provided by the farmers' market collaborative.

Thank you to the Danbury Farmers' Market Community Collaborative, the Danbury Farmers' Market Director Peggy Zamore, RDN.; the Elmwood Hall Senior Center in Danbury, CT and Director, Susan Tomanio, LCSW.; Clatter Valley Farm in New Milford, CT and farmers Willow and Jeremy Schulz (Jeremy, a UConn alumni), and UConn Extension and Assistant Extension Educator, Heather Peracchio, MS, RDN.