Hello Readers!
I am submitting my final article for publication due to the fact that I am retiring from Alabama Cooperative Extension System (ACES) in Escambia County. It has been my pleasure to write these articles for more than 35 years, and I hope you have enjoyed reading them as much as I have enjoyed sharing them with you.
As an employee of ACES for more than 40 years, my career has been a special treat for me and those I have worked with starting with the Office Staff, in the Escambia County Extension Office.
We are more like a family. We have spent more “working hours”, “time together” and shared “special” events than with our own families.
During my early years with ACES, I worked as an Assistant County 4-H Agent. This position focused primarily on working with Girl’s 4-H Club, along with the Youth’s portion of the Expanded Foods and Nutrition Program, called Diet is Our Thing (DOT).
Each week classes were held at Brewton Courthouse and Atmore Housing Authority. These classes emphasized helping children learn to prepare healthy recipes, using different cooking techniques, and math skills.
Mothers really look forward to receiving new nutritious recipes for their families.
It was especially pleasing to me that parents entrusted their children into my care. Many times I took the youth to local contests, County programs, Regional Contests, 4-H State Congress in Auburn and even to a National Congress in Chicago, Illinois.
WOW, I was truly honored to have that task!
As I worked with 4-Hers and adults, especially in our rural County, my goals have always been to reach as many people as possible.
Therefore, I packaged information for several platforms to meet the needs of the people. For examples, information was delivered by way of Radio, TV, Newsletters, News Articles, and small group presentations. I thoroughly enjoyed facilitating and meeting with 4-H Clubs in the Brewton City School System, Escambia County School System and also Southern Normal School Students.
I loved 4-Hing!
During these early years of my career, I gained inspiration from the diverse 4-H Clubs’ student population who were always eager to learn new things. As a result of their eagerness, I hosted weekly programs on the local WEBJ Radio to share their activities.
In 1990, my mentor, Peggy Bracken, retired and I inherited her area of responsibility and began working more with the adults.
With this added responsibility, I was extremely excited about adding more seminars like Estate Planning, and Making it Through Hard Times. The annual FitFest program, a Health and Wellness program for Seniors, was held at the YMCA and D. W. McMillan Memorial Hospital.
It was a collaboration of different health agencies and organizations to promote health, wellness and fitness programs.
Another delightful program we held annually was the “Purple Tea”, which was held during the month of October in recognition of Breast Cancer Awareness and Survivor Month.
These special programs were like my “babies” they got bigger and better every year. I would like to thank all the sponsors and participants for their support.
Later as I advanced in my career, seven (7) additional Counties were added to my responsibilities that required additional programs through the Human Nutrition Diet and Health Division of ACES. With these new programs (Color Me Healthy, DEEP, New Leaf, Right Bite), emphasis were placed on Childhood and Adult Obesity, Diabetes, and other chronic diseases.
It was my responsibility to reached out and inform the citizens in the counties in the Gulf Coast area of the research-based programs we have to help prevent these diseases. I had a real passion to deliver these programs.
As a Regional Extension Agent with Auburn University, this job satisfied my lifelong dream of helping the people in Alabama improve the quality of their lives through research-based educational programs.
It enabled me to meet and interact with new and exciting people from different generations, places and circumstances.
Employment with the Alabama Cooperative Extension System has given me the opportunity to impact the lives of individuals from toddler through senior citizens.
That’s quite a diverse audience and I thoroughly enjoyed my journey. All of these experiences have helped me to grow and be a better person as I shared my knowledge.
A great BIG THANK YOU is extended to all of you who attended my Retirement Reception last Friday.
I loved the wonderful compliments and well wishes you extended to me. I could feel the love!
The room was elegantly decorated and the food was delicious. Thanks Extension Staff!
I appreciate the four local papers (Atmore Advance, Atmore News, Brewton Standard, and Tri City Ledger) for allowing me to have a column for over 30 years in their papers.
Also, THANK YOU so much for the beautiful article you wrote about me too. I feel humbled and a bit overwhelmed as I come to the end of my career with Extension. However, I am looking forward to the new chapter and endeavors in my new life.
As a play-off of Gladys Knight’s Song “You Are the Best Thing in my Life”… Working with the Alabama Cooperative Extension System has been the Best Job in My life! And as Dean Martin would sing: “Thanks for the (beautiful) Memories”
