The Cooking Matters program was on pause during 2022.

The "Story Behind the Measure" helps us understand the causes and forces at work that explain the data behind participants completing the Cooking Matters program.

What's Helping Customer Change? These are the positive forces at work in our strategy/program that influence customer change.

• Ease and accessibility of program
• Time commitment of customer
• Low or no cost to customer
• Resources to assist with obtaining necessary ingredients
• No stigma involved

What's Hurting Customer Change? These are the negative forces at work in our strategy/program that influence customer change.

• Lack of and quality of feedback from customers
• Internet quality and availability for customers
• Cost may still be a barrier to some
• Technical/computer skills of customers

The following actions have been identified by our Healthy Eating Active Living Team (HEAL) as ideas for what can work for this performance measure to make a difference on Healthy Eating with the Cooking Matters Program.

Actions and Approaches Identified by Our HEAL Team: These are actions and approaches that we think can make a difference for this performance measure.

• Utilize HEAL Team members to promote the Cooking Matters Program in the community/agencies/organizations.
• Review participant pre and post participation surveys to assess for increased confidence to make healthier food choices for their families and prepare balanced delicious meals.

No-cost and Low-cost Ideas Identified by Our HEAL Team: These are no-cost and low-cost actions and approaches that we think can make a difference for this performance measure.

• Place program information on partner organizations website and social media platforms.
• Utilize internal IT and HR department staff to assist with marketing program information to all county employees via newsletter/flyer format.
• Use pre and post survey developed by the Cooking Matters program.
• Collaborate with YMCA to bring program to Madison County.

What your communities served/customers think would work to do better: These are actions and approaches that our communities served/customers think can make a difference for this performance measure.

• Monitor number of participant pre and post program surveys completed.
• Research grant funding for to cover cost of the program and food.

List of Questions/Research Agenda: These are questions to follow-up on for this performance measure. If you still need more information about what works to do better, make these questions part of your information & research agenda.

• Explore various methods to assist with collection of pre and post survey data.