About EHF

Empowering Healthy Families (EHF) was inspired by faith-based partners and congregation members who wanted a program to help families with young children keep their kids healthy and reduce their risk of getting diabetes and other diseases. Partners were also interested in a program that would help families with young children learn good money management skills as a way to better access healthy resources and improve quality of life. Partners hoped to replicate the success of the popular Balanced Living with Diabetes program.

EHF is a 5-year grant from United States Department of Agriculture to work with BGCVA churches to provide two different programs to 24 congregations. Each church will get both programs, in random order, with one program offered each year over two years.

Families with children aged 6 to 11 will have separate education for parents and children but will eat together and play together during program sessions. Each program is nine weeks long, with one session per week. Cooperative Extension agents and program assistants will work with parents. Church members will be trained to use Cooperative Extension curricula to work with the kids and will receive a modest stipend. Participants can receive compensation for the time they spend to help with research to evaluate the program.

The two programs are Healthy Children, Healthy Families and Money Smart. Visit our Programs page to learn more. 

We hope your church will join us!