WVU Extension - Family Nutrition Program

We're celebrating Rethink Your Drink today! Our health educators teach participants about the importance of drinking water and reducing sugary drink consumption. Since 2024, this program has reached over 6,700 adults at Rethink Your Drink events. Participants often have the opportunity to sample fruit-infused water. If you've participated in this programming, we would love to hear about your experience in the comments.

Federal Legislation ended funding of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program-Education (SNAP-Ed) after federal fiscal year 2025. This has been the WVU Extension Family Nutrition Program's largest source of funding. As a result of the elimination of SNAP-Ed funding, public health projects and programs such as the Grow This: West Virginia Garden Challenge, Kids Market @ the Store, and Rethink Your Drink, will no longer be offered through the WVU Extension Family Nutrition Program after September 30, 2025.

Today, we're celebrating our Rethink Your Drink program! Our health educators have been working to teach their communities about the importance of choosing water over sugary drinks. Quench, the Rethink Your Drink mascot, has made appearances in classrooms, at events and even in social media videos.

Here are some of the program's accomplishments over the last few years:

💧Since 2024, over 30,000 youth have participated in Rethink Your Drink events across West Virginia.
💧In 2024, 17 sites in West Virginia implemented or maintained free water access as a result of the Rethink Your Drink program.
💧Since 2024, the program has reached over 1,400 youth during Rethink Your Drink week.

Federal Legislation ended funding of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program-Education (SNAP-Ed) after federal fiscal year 2025. This has been the WVU Extension Family Nutrition Program's largest source of funding. As a result of the elimination of SNAP-Ed funding, public health projects and programs such as the Grow This: West Virginia Garden Challenge, Kids Market @ the Store, and Rethink Your Drink, will no longer be offered through the WVU Extension Family Nutrition Program after September 30, 2025.

As we prepare to wrap up this programming, we would love to hear about your experience participating in Rethink Your Drink events! Please leave your stories in the comments.