Family & Consumer Science Extension Agent Donna Daniel had the pleasure of meeting the First Lady Dorothy McAuliffe at the National Health Outreach Conference in Roanoke recently.   

McAuliffe was a keynote speaker on food education, health, nutrition and building healthy communities. Daniel was a team member on the planning committee for the conference. There were approximately 300 participants in the conference.

The 2016 National Health Outreach Conference theme was: All Aboard: Building Partnerships for a Healthy America. The health conference was intended for health professionals, health educators, health policymakers, and anyone interested in learning more about physical and mental wellness. The goal was to offer a participatory and collaborative conference joining organizations and agencies to encourage working across systems locally, regionally and nationally to address current and future health and wellness education, practices and needs.

The conference was designed for participants to learn innovative and creative strategies to develop and disseminate health and wellness information in neighborhoods, communities and states.

As first lady, McAuliffe has dedicated her efforts to eliminating childhood hunger and improving access to Virginia’s fresh, locally grown agricultural products for all citizens. She has identified food security and nutrition as key elements necessary for educational success and building healthy communities.

McAuliffe serves as chair of the Commonwealth Council on Bridging the Nutritional Divide.

The council is focused on eliminating childhood hunger in Virginia, developing local agriculture markets, and promoting community efforts that link locally grown food, education, health and nutrition.

Thanks to their support, and the dedication of a Team NoKidHungry in Virginia, the goal is to do away with childhood hunger in Virginia — once and for all.