The Sherman County Senior Center in Moro plays a key role in supporting older adults in north-central Oregon. As a congregate meal site, it receives grant funding from the Community Action Program of East Central Oregon (CAPECO), a nonprofit that promotes independence and well-being across the lifespan. CAPECO encourages its grantees to provide educational programming — but due to limited staffing and COVID-19 restrictions, the center had offered few such opportunities in recent years.
This initiative broadened Extension’s reach and strengthened community wellness by serving a more diverse audience.
In fall 2022, Oregon State University Extension Service’s Supplemental Nutrition Education Program (SNAP-Ed) in Sherman County identified a chance to expand outreach. SNAP-Ed educator Cindy Brown, whose previous work had focused primarily on youth at Sherman County School, approached Senior Center manager Kari Silcox with a proposal to bring nutrition and wellness education to older adults.
Silcox welcomed the collaboration, which allowed the center to fulfill its CAPECO grant requirement for educational programming while better serving the needs of its older adult clients.
Over a two-month period, Brown taught a nine-part class series using Seniors Eating Well, a curriculum developed by Penn State Extension. A total of 13 participants attended the series, with 83 total class visits across the sessions.
Survey results from the 10 participants who completed pre- and post-series evaluations showed clear impact. All respondents reported at least one improvement in nutrition knowledge or practices:
- Three participants showed improvement in one area
- Three improved in two areas
- Four reported gains in four or more areas
In addition:
- Four participants said they now read nutrition labels when deciding if a food is a healthy choice
- Two participants increased their fruit intake from two servings per day to three or more
Feedback from both participants and partners was positive. One participant praised the curriculum’s range of topics, and CAPECO staff member Ronni Hyde said: “The series sounds excellent, and it's wonderful to hear you've had such an engaged group.”
Based on the program’s success and input from the state SNAP-Ed team, Extension staff in Sherman County are expanding older adult programming to additional sites across the county. In January and February 2023, Brown taught Eat Smart, Live Strong and OSU’s Food Hero Older Adult curriculum at Rufus City Hall, offering free, practical health education tailored to adults aged 50 and older.
This initiative not only helped meet local grant goals — it broadened Extension’s reach and strengthened community wellness by serving a more diverse audience.
