Ten participants, including clients from the Territorial Administration on Aging and stay-at-home moms, completed a three-week homemakers class conducted by the American Samoa Community College (ASCC) - Agriculture, Community and Natural Resources (ACNR) Division's Expanded Food & Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP) on October 2, 2024.  A collaboration between the Pacific Center in Human Security (PCHS) - Money Follows the Person (MFP) program and the ASCC-ACNR EFNEP, the homemakers class aimed to improve home management skills in the areas of basic housekeeping, nutrition and food safety, and meal preparation.

Participants learned through several hands-on activities which included: cooking and food safety demonstrations along with how to affordably shop healthy with EFNEP staff; how to affordably grow vegetables and herbs at home with ACNR Horticulture Research staff; and basic nutrition and physical activity with ACNR Health and Wellness program staff. EFNEP would like to thank the ASCC-ACNR team and PCHS-MFP for contributing to a successful homemakers class and for investing in the enhancement of American Samoa's home skills. Also, thank you to the American Samoa Telecommunication Authority (ASTCA) for providing its Lifeline Program for several of the eligible participants.

Under PCHS’s Pacific Way, MFP is a Health Initiative program funded by the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services (CMS). It was made available through the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005. EFNEP is part of the Cooperative Extension Services Family Consumer Science program under the ASCC-ACNR. It was designed to help children and families acquire knowledge, skills, attitudes and changed behavior necessary for nutritionally sound diets. This includes working with the local communities to teach skills and strategies to increase knowledge in food budgeting, nutrition and exercise.

For more information on MFP, call (684) 699-2722 Ext. 4208/4209. For more information on EFNEP and homemakers class, call (684) 699-1575 Ext 258/259.