33C-5 |
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K. P. PENNER and K. M. Blakeslee. Food Science Institute, Kansas State Univ., Dept. of Animal Sciences & Industry, 216 Call Hall, Manhattan, KS 66506 Master programs that utilize trained volunteers have been successfully employed in Extension programs and are crucial in times of declining resources. The Master Food Volunteer (MFV)program was developed to enable extension agents to expand and strengthen food and nutrition programs by developing a core of well-trained volunteers, who in turn, provide expertise to the community through various volunteer efforts. A team of agents and specialists developed the training notebook, and the pilot training occurred in the Kansas City area in winter of 2002 with three counties collaborating to organize the 40 hr training over a period of two months. Twenty-one volunteers completed the training and 17 became active Master Food Volunteers. County extension agents reported a total of 1,589 volunteer hours in 2002 (17 MFVs)and 1,198 hours in the first 8 months of 2003(28 MFVs)to support and expand their county food and nutrition programs. The program has grown to include agents and volunteers from 15 counties. At $15.00 per hour, this amounts to $41,805 of paid work. Evaluations indicate an increase in MFVs'knowledge of food safety, food science, food preservation, and food preparation. They also increased use of research-based information and resources, communication, community level program delivery, leadership development, and community networking. The “master volunteer” model works. The MFV program is likely to grow and be available in more counties in Kansas in the near future. It is a way to attract new volunteers to Extension and to expand the capacity of agent educators to reach more audiences. And, this is the only program of its kind in the United States. Food and nutrition specialists from other states have purchased the program and have begun to implement it.
Session 33C, Extension & Outreach: General
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