O’Brien County, Iowa — The kindergarteners of O’Brien County are being exposed to more healthy snack choices, thanks to the work of O’Brien County Public Health, donors, and a grant from the Valero Foundation.
Judy Nieuwenhuis, the administrator for O’Brien County Public Health tells us how it came about.
She says she wanted to provide healthy snacks for all the kindergarteners without anyone knowing which kids’ families could afford to buy the snacks and which ones could not.
Nieuwenhuis says that at first, she tried to fund the program by getting donations from businesses and individuals. But she says she was disappointed by the lack of response. Then, she says, someone told her about another funding opportunity.
According to Nieuwenhuis, she’s also had another opportunity to teach kids about healthy snacks.
She says she tries to expose the students to things they may not have tried at home, such as peppers or cucumbers, or other things that may be unusual to a kindergartener.
For more information, you can contact Nieuwenhuis at O’Brien County Public Health in Primghar at 712-957-0105.
