Tyler Leeman

Diet 3235
Richest Day Reflection

1. Name: Tyler Leeman

2. Date of placement: 2-13-18

3. Placement site/description (urban, suburban, demographics, i.e. gender, age, race/ethnicity, etc)
Freshplace Food Pantry to offer direct and indirect education to diverse pantry clients while they
shopped for their groceries. The Location was in an urban area and it was very clean and well
maintained. Average age of participants were mid to late 30’s and the majority of the population was
African American and Hispanic. The audience mas mainly female with one male. Of the people we
spoke and shared information with there were 7 women.

4. Site mentor: Jon Mitchell

5. Language barriers Y/N. If yes, please explain how you dealt with the challenge
No language barriers at this site all of the participants we interacted with spoke fluent English

Connections to the Nutrition Care Process

Assessment--- “food for thought”:

Clients who come to Freshplace are taken on by Jon in order to help them and their families get
back on their feet. They meet with a case manager on a consistent basis to make sure they are working
towards a goal, whether it be finishing school and finding a job. Assistance is provided for them to help
them create a resume and set up interviews. They are usually a client at Freshplace for 1-2 years. While
they are a client, based on the size of their family they can come in once every 2 weeks to pick up
groceries. At this site the majority of the population were accustomed to making the types of food most
familiar to them. The majority of the people at the food pantry had a Jamaican background and were
mainly interested in fruits and vegetables and base their meals around chicken and foods they are
comfortable with. The problem with that is the food pantry doesn’t always have foods that the clients
are familiar with and used to cooking with. Most weren’t interested in implementing foods outside of
their comfort zone. This is why I believe this site is such as perfect location for direct nutrition
education. Being able to talk with the clients 1 on 1 as they shop and give them recipes and tips on how
to cook foods they may not cook with consistently was really beneficial. According to the stages of
change model, the action phase is one of the crucial stages where self-efficacy is established and
behavior change is achieved. By providing quick and easy recipes as well as informational handouts
about healthy portion sizes we aimed to increase the client’s confidence in their ability to provide their
families correctly portioned and well balanced meals.
Diagnosis
Impaired ability to prepare meals related to lack of familiarity with available foods and of resources
for healthy cooking as evidence by low income status at Freshplace and self-reported lack of nutrition
knowledge.

Plan
 Meet with fellow dietetic student to review site location and
 Gather culturally appropriate nutrition handouts as well as recipes and food models.
 Review transportation plans and timing of arrival and setup
 Arrive at site and set up table with materials
 Engage Freshplace participants, hand out materials, offer direct nutrition information
and food samples
 break down site
 evaluate education experience and brainstorm future modifications

Implementation:
We were shown our table set up upon arrival. We arranged our table cloth and set up our
handouts, recipes and samples. The site director then oriented us to the typical flow the clients
take while picking out their groceries so we tried to engage with clients as they went to weight
their groceries. We offered handouts focused on serving healthy portion sizes as well as recipes
implementing foods available at the food pantry such as chickpeas and apples. We also
answered questions parents had relating to their children not eating a high amount of
vegetables. Most of the clients were willing to speak with us and take recipes or information.
We also got some of the clients to try some unique types of cheese and some even went back
to put it in their cart. At the end of the session we cleaned up our materials and left the table
as we found it.
Evaluation/Modification
Our main goal while at Freshplace was to deliver direct education as the participants finished
their shopping trips. We were able to speak to a majority of the clients directly about our
materials and any questions they had. The shopping trip length different between clients.
Most took their time and allowed us to interact and talk with them. A few moved a little
quicker and left immediately after they finished. We counted 12 clients shopping at Freshplace
and we estimate at least 75% took information or a recipe. We feel that we successfully met
our goal for the site.
Lessons Learned:

B. Competencies you addressed/met.

CRD 2.3: Demonstrate active participation, teamwork and contributions in group
settings
 We worked together in a group to decide what information to provide and
discuss at Freshplace.
CRD 2.7: Apply leadership principles effectively to achieve desired outcomes
  We each took the lead in the process of gathering information, preparing
packets, and planning our direct education.
CRD 2.9: Participate in professional and community organizations
 I enjoyed working with Freshplace. The site director and workers/volunteers
were very welcoming and a joy to work with.
CRD 3.1: Perform the Nutrition Care Process (a through d below) and use standardized
nutrition language for individuals, groups and populations of differing ages and health
status, in a variety of settings
 We took into account community demographics and cultures while assessing,
diagnosing, implementing, and evaluating/monitoring our intervention.
CRD 2.10: demonstrate professional attributes in all areas of practice
 We had a good understanding of our population, and prepared well to meet
the nutrition education needs of the clients of Freshplace

C. Connections to class lecture notes—important to demonstrate the “loop”

In class, we talked frequently about how you must use motivational interviewing and
modify your approach based on the population you are working with. Visiting
Freshplace gave us a hands on experience with this exact situation. We were able to
learn about the typical population at this site and select handouts and recipes that we
felt would be well received and would be most helpful.

D. Acceptance of your presence

The audience at Freshplace was very accepting of our presence. While a few people
were in a rush and ignored us, most people had a more relaxed pace, and a few people
came up to us on our own. We didn’t feel like we were unwanted at any point, and
some people engaged us in fun conversations about what meals they make at home
while they were shopping.

E. Your perceived value and worth of the activities/lesson

This experience was worthwhile because it gave us greater exposure to a program that
focuses on providing resources and helping a diverse audience. It also helped us practice
approaching and engaging people, since it’s important for dietitians to initiate change or
education with patients of clients. The more practice we have at evaluating a site based
on demographics and expected client attendance, the more effective we will be when
planning and implementing future community based nutrition events. We were also
able to work on leadership and teamwork skills, as well as working with an outside
organization.

F. Site mentor perceived value and worth of the lesson /share any of their comments
Our site mentor Jon was warm and welcoming as soon as we arrived and helped us in
any way he could to help us be successful.
 G. Your comfort level at site
I felt comfortable at the Freshplace. Most participants were receptive, and many were
friendly and interested in what we had to offer. The staff was appreciative of our
services, and we felt welcomed.

8. What did you gain from the experience that speaks to your growth and development as a
community nutritionist? In what ways are you feeling increasingly competent?
I really enjoy the community nutrition events because I get to learn about a program I am not
familiar with. We discuss a lot about how people who are food insecure don’t always take
advantage of programs they qualify for. As a dietitian being knowledgeable about the programs
available to the population you’re working with can be a crucial tool for helping them achieve
better health outcomes.