Offering nutrition or general HEAL-related courses and demonstrations is an essential component of the holistic, community-based support we aim to provide through our first strategy. Not only do we aim to offer referrals to services and resources, but we aim to provide education that will boost health literacy and improve healthy behaviors, which will empower individuals to utilize the services and resources they were not aware were available to them.

Examples of courses or educational opportunities provided to the community include:

(Nutrition/Healthy Eating)

• Plant Forward Eating and Cooking Class: Offer hands-on experience in creating healthy meals with a focus on plant-based ingredients, often with meat and other animal products playing a supporting role.
• Med Instead of Meds Curriculum: This program, created by nutrition and health professionals, aims to demonstrate how adopting a healthy (Mediterranean) diet can help reduce the need for medications and potentially eliminate some medications altogether.
• Phytonutrient Salad Cooking Class: Learn to prepare a salad designed to maximize the intake of phytonutrients, naturally occurring compounds found in plant-based foods that are believed to offer numerous health benefits and potential protection against chronic diseases. 

(Active Living)

• Matter of Balance: Participants learn about the importance of exercise in preventing falls and practice exercises to improve strength, coordination, and balance.