Community Nutrition and Health

Alameda County UCCE nutrition programs promote healthy communities by providing evidence-based nutrition education and implementing policy, systems, and environmental changes to support these efforts. Our focus is to empower individuals and families to have healthy eating habits and regular physical activity, to use safe food handling practices, and to manage food resources effectively. Our work is guided by the expertise of the University of California, translating scientific information to meet the needs of our local communities.

We offer nutrition education through two programs:

•       CalFresh Healthy Living (CFHL)

  CalFresh Healthy Living, the University of California Cooperative Extension (UCCE) teaches people eligible for SNAP about good nutrition, how to make their food dollars stretch further, and how to be physically active at any age.  Effective, evidenced-based nutrition education and physical activity classes are aligned with policy, systems, and environmental change strategies to create long lasting community change.

  Our mission is to inspire and empower under-served Californians to improve their health by promoting awareness, education, and community change through diverse partnerships, resulting in healthy eating and active living.

  The majority of CalFresh Healthy Living, UCCE participants are preschool (3-5) and their families. The program also works with SNAP-Ed eligible adults and seniors.

•       Expanded Food and Nutrition Education (EFNEP)

  The Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP) provides community education classes for income-eligible youth and adults which promote nutrition and physical activity as a means of maintaining a healthy lifestyle free from chronic disease.

  By focusing on improving diet quality, increasing physical activity, assuring safe food-handling practices, and strengthening food resource management skills, EFNEP supports families with children to make meaningful healthy lifestyle changes.

  EFNEP also partners with community stakeholders to make changes to the surrounding community context known as “policy, system, and environmental change.” These efforts result in deeper, long-term positive impact for even more youth and families.