Health and Human Sciences
It's as simple as
Food, Family, Money, & Health
The Health and Human Sciences (HHS) Educator delivers educational programs in Vigo County that are evidence and research based, to all community members. HHS Purdue Extension focuses on issues related to families and parenting through programs like our "Strengthening Families Program". HHS Extension delivers health and wellness and food and nutrition programs to help with chronic diseases, like "Dining with Diabetes" and "Be Heart Smart". Through HHS you can also learn about food safety and home food preservation. Where Does Your Money Go helps those who struggle financially get back to basics by learning budgeting.
Contact Us
Purdue Extension Vigo County
275 Ohio St.
Terre Haute, IN 47807
(812) 462-3371
GAIL WRIGHT
Examples of Programming
The Strengthening Families Program: For Parent and Youth 10-14 is an evidence-based program that can help prevent teen substance abuse and other behavior problems, strengthen parent/youth communication skills, increase academic success in youth, help teach youth skills for dealing with stress and peer pressure, prevent violence, and aggressive behavior at home and at school. Ranked as the #1 prevention program out of 6,000 analyzed by the World Health Organization, the Strengthening Families Program consists of 7, 2-hr. long classes comprising of youth, parent, and family sessions.
Session topics included:
- Love & Limits
- Dreams & Goals
- House Rules
- Appreciating Parents
- Encouraging Positive Behavior
- Dealing with Stress
- Following Rules & Using Consequences
- Peer Pressure
For more information, visit https://www.purdue.edu/hhs/extension/strengthening-families-program-for-parents-and-youth-10-14-post-editable/
Each year, about 659,000 people in the United States die from heart disease, that’s 1 of every 4 deaths (CDC)! Purdue Extension’s Be Heart Smart Program helps individuals learn information to prevent and reduce their risk of developing heart disease. Over the course of four lessons, participants will learn about the risk factors associated with heart disease, important numbers to know, heart-healthy eating, and how to make sustainable heart-healthy lifestyle changes.
Be Heart Smart cost $15 to attend. For more information, visit: https://www.purdue.edu/hhs/extension/program6/
According to Gallup, only 1 in 3 Americans use a budget and 30% have a long-term financial plan involving savings and investments for the future. Where Does Your Money Go? Program is designed to help consumers better understand how to spend their money. Taught over two, one-hour sessions, participants learn about financial management practices such as needs vs wants, writing goals, tracking expenses, identifying spending leaks, and how to develop a spending-savings plan. Furthermore, program activities help participants increase their knowledge of money management practices that promote financial stability and adoption of new habits that can lead to financial control.
For more information, visit: https://www.purdue.edu/hhs/extension/where-does-your-money-go/According to the National Diabetes Statistics Report 2020, 34.2 million Americans have diabetes and another 88 million have prediabetes (CDC). Furthermore, people who have diabetes are 2.3 more likely to have greater healthcare cost than people who don’t have diabetes.
The Dining with Diabetes Program is a designed to assist and support individuals who have diabetes as well as their families to help reduce the burden of diabetes by increasing knowledge of healthy foods, tips to prepare quick, healthy, and tasty foods, demonstrating proper cooking techniques, promoting physical activity, building confidence, and providing opportunities for participants to learn from one another.
The cost to attend Dining with Diabetes is $40 per individual or $65 per couple. To learn more about Dining with Diabetes, visit: https://www.purdue.edu/hhs/extension/programs-food-0/#dining-with-diabetes
Extension Homemakers
VIGO COUNTY EXTENSION HOMEMAKERS NEWSLETTER
APRIL 2025
UPCOMING DATES TO REMEMBER
April 1 Spring District Meeting in Greencastle
April 14 Past Presidents Club Meeting
April 14 Officers Form for next year due to Extension Office
April 28 Spring Fling
(Click here to download Spring Fling information)
May 5 Council Meeting
May 23 New Members Information, Perfect Attendance members, Model Club &/or Honor
Club Forms are due to Extension Office
June 2 – 4 Home & Family Conference
June 9 Past Presidents Meeting
June 23 Achievement Day…..Council Meeting to follow Achievement Day July 5 – 12
Vigo County Fair
Council's Message
Hello everyone! I can’t believe this is April all ready. There are many events this month for the Vigo County Extension Clubs. It’s wonderful that the weather is changing (although a few weeks ago I didn’t like what was happening) here in our area.
Past President's
The April Past Presidents Meeting will be at Cackleberries Restaurant, 303 S. 7th S., at 11am. Hope to see many of you at the meeting.
Union Hospital Need
Union Hospital is in need of sleepers for babies, especially preemies. New or gently used items will be accepted. Please designate one person from your club to take them to the front desk at Union Hospital and let them know you’re from the Vigo County Extension Homemakers and your club name.
The Hospital is also in need of coloring books and crayons for children.
Home & Family Conference Special Project
The ‘special project” for Home and Family Conference 2025 will be a single placemat. Guidelines: up to 14” x 20” is the maximum, however, you can make it smaller. It can be rectangle, oval, round…just as long as it is NOT over 14” x 20”. Your club president needs to bring it to the May Council Meeting.
Are you Scattering Hearts?
I understand some clubs are still “Scattering Hearts” around the area and I think that is wonderful. This was our Past State President project. Our current State President is asking us to make “Boxes of Care.” Items to put in the box could be band-aids, compressed wash cloths, .6 oz toothpaste, thumb toothbrush, safety pins, buttons, needle & thread. These items could be put in a recycled Altoid tin or a
Vigo County Fair
Vigo County Fair is July 5th – 12th. I’d like to see many, many of you do a project and turn in to the fair. I’m going to try and enter something and I challenge all Vigo County members to enter something! Let’s make this a bonus year for the Fair.
EDUCATOR SPOTLIGHT
Upcoming Events & Opportunities to Learn!
I am going to be doing some new classes and some old that I thought you might be interested in attending. Please, just call me if you would like more information.“
12 POINTS LIBRARY SERIES ON NUTRITION
- APRIL 16TH; 4:30 TO 5:30; FOOD ALLERGIES—WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
- APRIL 30TH; 4:30 TO 5:30; ABCD—AN OVERVIEW FOR SPECIAL DIETS (Blood Pressure, Cholesterol, Diabetes)
- MAY 14TH; 4:30 TO 5:30; CROCKPOT RECIPES (5 INGREDIENTS OR LESS)
- JUNE 11TH; 4:30 TO 5:30; HOW TO BOIL WATER—COOKING 101
PARTNERING WITH UNION HEALTH DIABETES EDUCATION PROGRAM & LUGAR CENTER
- APRIL 23RD; 5:30 TO 6:30; EATING WELL WITH DIABETES; LANDSBAUM CTR.: 1433 N 6th 1/2 St
OLLI AT WESTMINSTER VILLAGE
Empower Me to Live Clutter Free” for the OLLI program on Wednesday, June 18, from 2:00 to 3:30 p.m. at Westmin- ster Village
MATTER OF BALANCE STARTS APRIL 30!
Please call if you would like to register—class will be every week for 8 weeks from 1:30 to 3:30 at the Meadows Learning Lab!
ARTHRITIS CHAIR EXERCISE CLASS
will offer a class from 10 am to 11 am and a class at 11:30 am to 12:30 pm. The class is only an hour and will focus on education, chair-based (or standing) exercises, and reducing stress.
* If you are interested, please call or email Gail at (812) 462-3371 or wrigh509@purdue.edu to register.
Gail Wright
Health and Human Sciences Educator