Webinar On Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program For Military Families Is July 13

The webinar is free, and participants can register at https://tx.ag/July13OneOp. Once registered, participants will receive an email with instructions and the link to the event. Those who cannot use the link may view the event live on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/c/OneOp/live.

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, SNAP, is the cornerstone of the USDA’s nutrition assistance safety net. SNAP Nutrition Education, SNAP-Ed, is the nutrition education and health promotion component. 

OneOp webinars are for professional service providers who work with military families. OneOp, formerly the Military Families Learning Network, is a virtual professional development platform for providers who serve military families. The webinar is part of the Food Security in Focus collection of events.

“This webinar will discuss how SNAP and SNAP-Ed align with national food and nutrition security strategies,” said Rachel Brauner, AgriLife Extension military program specialist, Bryan-College Station. “Participants who attend this webinar will learn how they can collaborate with state and local SNAP-Ed programs to provide the best care possible to their clients and connect them to resources that can help.”

The webinar provides continuing education credit for many professional programs. Visit the OneOp website for a complete list. Certificates of attendance are available for providers interested in documenting their training activities.

Identifying food insecurity, SNAP resources

Among the nation’s active-duty service members and their families, an estimated 24% are food insecure. The OneOp Food Security in Focus webinar series focuses on expanding food security for the military family and mobilizing family service professionals at federal, state and local levels to work together on this issue.

Food insecurity may be identified during a preventive care visit or medical nutrition therapy appointment through the use of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s screening questions. It may also be identified by registered dietitians, nutrition educators or other service providers in a variety of settings.

When identified, connecting clients may be appropriate, Brauner said. SNAP provides nutrition benefits to supplement the food budget of needy families so they can purchase healthy food and move toward self-sufficiency. SNAP-Ed focuses on good nutrition, stretching food dollars, living physically active lifestyles and engaging partners to build healthier communities.

“This helps to ensure a healthy choice is the easiest choice to make where people live, work, shop, play, eat and learn,” she said.

Learning objectives

Experts from the USDA Food and Nutrition Service SNAP’s Program Administration and Nutrition Division speaking at the webinar are Aurora Calvillo Buffington, Ph.D. and RDN, nutrition education branch chief; Doris Chin, RDN, nutrition education branch nutritionist; and Laura Griffin, senior policy advisor and chief of staff.

At the conclusion of this webinar, participants should be able to:

• Describe the purpose of SNAP.
• Explain how SNAP-Ed promotes healthy diet and physical activity behaviors.
• Identify how SNAP-Ed aligns with National food and nutrition security strategies.
• Identify two examples of collaboration with state and local SNAP-Ed projects.

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