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MSU Extension director: federal SNAP‑Ed elimination will cut regional nutrition staff; Jackson County among most affected
Summary
Mary Bowling, district director for MSU Extension, told the committee Congress eliminated the USDA-funded SNAP‑Ed education program; MSU expects 94 positions eliminated statewide, 10 in her district and six part-time staff support in Jackson County.
Mary Bowling, district 12 director for MSU Extension, told the Jackson County Human Services Committee that a recent federal action eliminated the SNAP‑Ed nutrition-education program and will reduce Extension staffing.
Bowling said the legislation in the recently passed federal bill eliminated the USDA-funded SNAP‑Ed program nationwide. MSU Extension expects 94 positions statewide to end Oct. 1; Bowling said 10 positions will be lost across the six-county district she manages and that six of those provided at least part‑time support in Jackson County. She said the county is likely the most affected in her district.
Bowling described how SNAP‑Ed educators worked in low-income settings to teach nutrition, with partners including schools, food pantries, shelters, reentry facilities and community organizations such as Lifeways and the Michigan Fitness Foundation. She said not all nutrition programming was funded through SNAP‑Ed and that the district will continue some expanded nutrition and food-safety programming with remaining staff (named in the district as Rebecca Calkins, Allen and Mary Donaldson). Bowling said MSU cannot continue to use the USDA SNAP‑Ed curriculum now that the program has been eliminated and that the Extension is looking for alternate funding and curriculum if programming is to continue.
Commissioners received the report by voice vote.
