GREENSBORO, N.C. — In an initiative to promote healthy living and lifestyles, the Guilford County Center of the NC Cooperative Extension Service will be holding its inaugural Families First Block Party as the finale of Local Foods Week. Families First Block Party is designed to give the Guilford County community an opportunity to visit with vendors and Extension personnel to learn ways to live a healthier life. Various activities will be held throughout the day on Saturday, September 30 beginning at 10:00 AM and concluding at 3:00 PM.
Trained medical staff will be on hand at the Block Party to offer free health screening opportunities including HIV, STDs, A1C Blood Glucose, blood pressure, flu shots (free with insurance), and more. A local barber school will be providing free haircuts and at the top of each hour, there will be fun exercise classes. One of the exercise classes is created specifically for children as part of our Extension “Fit Kids” program. There will also be ongoing youth activities led by our 4-H’ers to promote healthy exercise habits.
Healthy Living classes will be offered throughout the day led by our knowledgeable NC Cooperative Extension staff ranging from healthy cooking, nutrition, financial planning, and home care. All classes are offered at no charge, but arrive early because space is limited! These classes will be held in the outdoor classroom of our demonstration garden. Our Extension Master Gardener℠ Volunteers will also be on hand to conduct garden tours and answer any of your gardening questions.
Health coaches, youth organizations, health organizations, and local vendors will be on hand throughout the day to discuss their products and services to help attendees lead a healthier lifestyle. The Mobile Dairy Classroom with the Southwest Dairy Farmers will be there with a live cow and live milking demonstrations. Of course, no party is complete without great food. The Mobile Farmers’ Market and Guilford County Cooperative Extension will be offering samples of local seasonal produce and healthy recipes. Local food trucks have also been invited to offer lunch and snacks for purchase.
With the holidays coming up, many local families will be without healthy food for their holiday meals. In the Spirit of Giving, Cooperative Extension is partnering with Second Harvest Food Bank to collect canned food to stock their pantry shelves. For every two canned/non-perishable food items you donate, you will be given a ticket to enter a drawing for gift baskets provided by the NC Cooperative Extension Service.
Families First Block Party will be held at the Guilford County Cooperative Extension office located at 3309 Burlington Road Greensboro, NC 27405. Handicapped parking will be available in the lot next to the building. General parking is available in the grass lot at the corner of Bessemer and Burlington Roads.
Mark your calendar TODAY and join us on Saturday, September 30 between 10:00 AM and 3:00 PM to celebrate local foods and healthy families! For more information, visit www.guilfordextension.com or look for NC Cooperative Extension – Guilford County Center on Facebook.
— N.C. Cooperative Extension
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