Nutrition Education Outreach Project of Massachusetts

NEOP PROJECT SUMMARY 2020

“Serving the communities of Boston, Cambridge and Somerville since 1998 to fight hunger and teach each Families nutrition skills”

Mission:

Strengthen the cognitive development and nutrition well being of NEOP communities and other communities of families with children. We are focused on building our NEOP community online. We plan to do this by providing information about family nutrition via professionally supported, community-based nutrition education, food science and diet research to our global community. We have created a bevy of recipe flyers that incorporate dietary and nutritional information, some of the data targeting hypertension and diabetes. Having previously developed Nutrition Events such as food workshops and cooking demonstrations in community based facilities we are wanting to bring those back into our mission as Outreach Product Models.

The Nutrition Education Outreach Project (NEOP) is a Cambridge-based nutrition education outreach organization that was founded in 1998, by myself Robert Sondak. As a graduate of UMass Boston in Community Service Management, I developed the recipe flyers and created the initial pilot program. While a student at the Pratt Institute, I studied Food Science and Dietetics and worked within a hospital system as a nutrition intern to learn about the processing of patient food.

Product Lines:

Our Products are included into our Outreach Project approach: Our Created Recipe Flyers in a multi-lingual format that includes English, Spanish, and French for those speaking communities and families. Distributed Recipe Flyers to encourage new as well as traditional, and also multi-ethnic foods for immigrant families and individuals. Within these Recipe Flyers we highlight the USDA Food Guides, 'Food Pyramid' and the revised My.Plate 'gov' nutrition education tools. These Recipe Flyers highlight ingredients, quantity, quality and portion size focusing on low salt-diabetic diet portions incorporating hypertension and diabetes management.

Facilitated a program of Nutritional Health and Wellness Workshops for families with children in the Boston,Cambridge and Somerville. Established lectures highlighting Food and the Nutritional values along with components of the food in a non-cooking environment and setting. These Nutritional Health and Wellness Workshops covered not only nutritional information, but also incorporate nutritional consciousness including vitamins and minerals, antioxidants, phytochemicals and how to utilize these nutrients in food shopping.

Established Nutritional Cooking Classes for school-age children teaching them how to prepare recipes while learning the nutritional value of those ingredients as well as the overall recipe's nutritional value. Coordinated these Nutritional Cooking Classes by instructing families in how to prepare recipes, do meal planning and incorporate Health and Wellness through nutrition. Demonstrated and instructed families in the Nutritional Cooking Classes oh how to reduce cholesterol and hypertension via the introduction of monounsaturated cooking oils: olive and sunflower.

Created Herbal Bookmark Program for school-age children and families teaching them to prepare recipes with limited salt and added sugar to manage hypertension and diabetes. Herbal Bookmarks are an introductory bookmark covering herbs in our community which includes: history, health benefits, and how to use them daily in cooking. Circulated Herbal Bookmarks in the Nutrition Health and Wellness Workshops to help focus on managing sugar intake. Facilitated Nutrition Cooking Demonstrations instructing school-age children and families in how to utilize cooking herbs like basil, oregano, paprika in both hot-cold dishes in managing daily salt. Created Health and Wellness Newsletters for members of our workshops and families with children and also children that focus on healthy eating along with portion control to reduce hypertension and diabetes. The Health and Wellness Newsletters educate people to in how to utilize the USDA My Plate.gov national diet tool and also demonstrate to people the health benefits of using cooking herbs such as basil, oregano, basil, paprika and garlic in both hot and cold dishes while managing daily salt intake. Additionally Our Cookbook will incorporate both system measures in English and international Metric in an online version and as a funding tool.

History In 1988, a nutrition pilot program was established that later became the Nutrition Education Outreach Project. The following year NEOP created an outreach program with six community partnerships. In 2000, NEOP expanded by circulating flyers in Spanish, French in Cambridge, Ma. In 2001 and 2002, NEOP circulated holiday recipe flyer cook booklets in English, Spanish and French in Cambridge, Ma.. In 2003, NEOP created client nutrition workshops at the Ruby Rogers Mental Health Center. In 2005, NEOP facilitated client-based cooking classes at the Ruby Rogers Mental Health Center and the Project Care & Concern. Growth continued in 2006 with the establishment of cooking demos with the Union Square, Somerville Farmers Market. Expansion blossomed in 2007-2008 with the establishment of a series of cooking demos at the Arlington and Quincy Farmers Market. In 2012 NEOP created a cooking demonstration series in Cambridge, Ma. NEOP created websites in 2015 that allowed food programs and professionals to preview our recipes online. In 2015, NEOP developed a nutrition partnership with the senior citizens farmers market at the East End House. In December 2016, NEOP created a culinary partnership with the Friday Lunch program to prepare our recipes.

GOALS: •Create a 501(c)3 Incorporation--with an established BoD. •Create a Revenue Stream--using a Distribution Network for the Recipe Flyers and Newsletters. •Online Calendar of Events--for public use and promoting Events with Collaborative Agencies. •Create a Create a Revenue Stream--using a Distribution Network •Create a Create an Email Distribution List--for Distributing Communications and eVites to events. GROWTH: •Create an Online Store--using Facebook and Constant Contact managing Rsvp 's for Product Disbursement and Revenue Growth. •Vlog-video Log showing cooking demo 's as a video blog site. •Cable TV Sho--creating a show that cab be distributed via Access Television Networks. SUCCESSES • 2020. NEOP has expanded its four web sites to include diet and health related information during the coronavirus averaging 350 to 400 a month hits world wide, estimated over 4,000. • 2020. NEOP added two new partner agencies Fair Foods:Boston and First Korean Church:Cambridge. • 2018; NEOP created 4 recipe web sites collecting 3,000 hits. • 2017, NEOP completed a client assessment at the East End House, senior citizens farmers market at Miler Rivers Towers in Cambridge, MA.which showed a 15% client recipe interest. •2015 NEOP partnered with the East End House to provide Senior Farmers Markets outreach. • 2015: NEOP created 2 web sites highlighting our recipes virtually through the Internet world wide • 2012: NEOP developed a food demonstration and cooking series at the Cambridgeport Baptist and St Barthomelow Church. . • 2011: NEOP partnered with the Pilgrim Church community meal, as they prepare our recipes. • 2007: NEOP facilitated classes for 825 people, 10 percent of our low-income client or 8,250. • 2006: NEOP completed a client assessment at the Grace & Hope Baptist Mission in Roxbury, showing a 30 percent client recipe interest. •2005: NEOP developed a nutrition and health newsletter program and circulated 1,500 ESL recipe flyers.

Partnerships (2019-20) CAMBRIDGE Salvation Army: East End House: Feed the Hungry Meals Program: Friday Cafe: Mass Avenue Baptist Church: Harvest Food Pantry: 1-Korean Church BOSTON Grace & Hope Mission Project: Care & Concern and Harbor Point Seniors Center: Pilgrim Church & Day Care:Fair Foods

• Robert Sondak, NEOP Executive Director--617-283-2532 sondaksondaksondak@gmail.com