Who Benefits from CNEP? Everyone Involved!

CNEP employs and educates individuals within the community to serve as teaching paraprofessionals known as NEAs. Through quality CNEP training, and the support of OCES staff, NEAs with varying experience and backgrounds become effective teachers of basic nutrition, food safety, food preparation and money management skills.

 An NEA’s ability to relate to a family is vital to the success of the program. Because of this, CNEP often employs program graduates and people who have received food assistance to work as NEAs. They know first-hand what enrolled families are going through, providing a bridge of common ground between NEAs and participants. In their role as a “nutrition coach,” NEAs are seen as role models, acting as living proof of their real-life success story.

Changing Habits

Because of the unique peer teaching relationship and the hands-on learning atmosphere, participants are encouraged to practice skills learned each week, eventually resulting in a positive change in food related behaviors.

Comparing entrance and exit interviews, ninety-two percent of program participants demonstrate a positive change towards a healthy diet as a result of their nutrition training including significant increases in consumption of fruits, vegetables, and calcium/dairy foods. Americans typically do not consume enough of these foods, this improvement plays a vital role in decreasing cholesterol, and preventing chronic diseases like osteoporosis, cancer, and heart disease.

Interview comparisons also show:

• 45% of participants less often ran out of food before the end of the month
• 35% reported their children ate breakfast more often
• 58% less often thawed foods at room temperature

These numbers show marked improvement in the habits of program participants and, more importantly, prove families are stretching food dollars farther and practicing healthier and safer eating habits.

But CNEP participants aren’t the only ones gaining something from the program.

 NEA Success

Through OCES, CNEP provides support and training for NEAs at the county and state level, confirming continual access to researched based information. NEAs gain excellent experience working with CNEP and often use it as a stepping stone for future career paths. In fact, other agencies find that NEAs are excellent job candidates and actively recruit them.

Beatrice Perez, director of the Child and Adult Food Care Program in Lawton, Oklahoma, is a former CNEP participant and NEA. Perez said her role as an NEA was the most rewarding work experience to date, and it also helped prepare her for her current position.

“Working with CNEP gives you a chance to really see people make changes that can improve their nutritional status,” Perez said. “I know first-hand that the program makes an incredible difference in the lives of those it serves.”