- Author: Christopher Deleon
Community centers provide learning opportunities and resources for local residents. They provide spaces for community members to become more involved in their community, their neighborhoods, and themselves. This summer the UC CalFresh Nutrition Education Program collaborated with the Holistic Cultural & Education Wellness Center to provide nutrition education classes to community members in the area. The Holistic Cultural & Education Wellness Center provides community members with a wide variety of services to encourage a well-balanced lifestyle. 
UC CalFresh provides nutrition education classes in both Spanish and English. Participants feel the classes help them make healthier decisions for themselves and their families.
Participants learn the importance of fruits and vegetables, planning meals to save money; and limiting salt, sugar and fat intake.
Participants also learn the importance of physical activity and strength training.
UC CalFresh had a great time collaborating with the center and providing lessons to families!
- Author: Brittanny Zweigle
- Editor: Emily Harris
UC CalFresh Fresno/Madera MCP enjoyed being a part of the Fresno Unified Food Expo that took place on Saturday, May 14th.
The cafeteria at Roosevelt High School was filled with food vendors from throughout the valley, providing a variety of tasty foods for everyone!
The Dairy Council's Mobile Dairy even came to join the fun!
Alongside other community partners, UC CalFresh team members Brittanny Zweigle and Evelyn Morales were able to share information on MyPlate and provide easy tips and recipes showcasing how to add a variety of healthy foods into one's diet. The pair also provided an apricot taste test; after all, it was a Food Expo! Evelyn taught participants the benefits of dried fruit and the appropriate serving size to consume.
UC CalFresh hopes to see even more vendors, community partners and participants next year!
- Author: DeAnna Molinar
- Author: Sandra Ortega
Children visiting the UC CalFresh booth.
Waiting in line can be a little frustrating for some, but not for the families who attended the Tune In and Tune Up event at the Fresno County Fairgrounds. Both youth and adults in attendance learned about MyPlate, physical activity, and received a healthy snack!
This popular annual event, sponsored by the San Joaquin Valley Air District and Valley Clean Air Now, provided residents of Fresno with free emissions tests for their cars. Anyone whose vehicle didn't pass smog testing received a $500 voucher for smog shop repairs. In addition to free testing, participants were also able to visit booths while they waited for their vehicle, one of which was UC CalFresh.
This year, event coordinators didn't just want participants to hear about healthy foods, they wanted them to taste them. When visiting the UC CalFresh booth, attendees had the option to take a 2oz tasting of an orange, kiwi, pineapple, honeydew, or yam - paid for by the San Joaquin Valley Air District, Valley Clean Air Now, and provided by First Quality Produce.
Whether it was participating in a game with the physical activity dice, learning about the five food groups or tasting delicious healthy snacks, learning how to eat healthy was a great way for attendees to "wait in line" with a smile!
Attendee learning about nutrition.
DeAnna Molinar gets kids moving by using the activity dice.
Children love activity dice!
