There are many barriers Illinois residents face in making healthy choices. For over 30 years, University of Illinois Extension’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Education (SNAP-Ed) programs have helped people stretch their food dollars while increasing their nutrition and improving their health. Each year, SNAP-Ed reaches over 1 million Illinois residents, working with over 1800 community partners across all of Illinois’ 102 counties, making healthy choices and healthy food more accessible throughout the state. 

The SNAP-Ed workforce, housed in Illinois Extension’s portfolio of work under the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences, engages a wide network of local, regional, and statewide partners to provide in-person, community-based nutrition education for those who qualify for SNAP assistance. The Illinois Extension SNAP-Ed team, operating as the Eat.Move.Save. brand, also works to reduce the risk of chronic disease by helping to make nutritious food choices and active living opportunities more accessible and viable in Illinois. The program is delivered by University of Illinois Extension and University of Illinois Health’s Chicago Partnership for Health Promotion.

"Every week, our educators hear from parents who say they finally feel confident reading nutrition labels and stretching their food dollars to make ends meet while providing healthier meals for their families,” says Jennifer McCaffrey, Illinois Extension’s assistant dean and program leader for family and consumer sciences. “We work with seniors learning new ways to manage chronic conditions through the food they eat, and with children trying fresh fruits and vegetables for the first time.”

Read more from Illinois Extension.