Top chefs in the making! Families in Taking Steps Together are committed to making better food choices and living healthy active lives. (Names changed for the privacy of our participants)

Taking Steps Together Family Profiles
Rain or shine, Ms. McCannon* and her five children took the bus to Taking Steps Together (TST) every Monday night. Ms. McCannon’s children were listening when she said things like, “That food looks better than the food on the Oprah Winfrey Show; I can’t wait to make that at home.” Now it’s not only her children who are listening, Ms. McCannon and her family have returned to TST as volunteers, cheering on new participants as they play capture the flag or take their first bite of Ms. McCannon’s new favorite food, Swiss chard.

Three generations of the Martinez* family live, work, eat and celebrate life together under one roof. They also attended TST together. Grandma, Mom and daughter often walked into TST side by side, in class they did Zumba side by side and could often be found chopping vegetables side by side. After graduating from TST they decided that they wanted greater access to healthful foods. As per usual, the three generations of Martinez women threw on their work clothes and dug their hands in the dirt, side by side. Through their bountiful harvest, they are an example for other families, sharing their harvest and welcoming other families into their community garden plot with open arms.

Ms. Sanchez’s* pediatrician recommended TST as a prevention/treatment program because of her youngest son’s elevated BMI%. Ms. Sanchez’s main objective has always been to take care of her children. Ms. Sanchez to us upon arriving at TST, “They sent me for my son’s health but I know that I am the one that needs to take better care of myself. And if I can take better care of myself, my children will be healthier.” Ms. Sanchez was dead on, the research shows that the health of a parent is directly correlated to the health of the child. Ms. Sanchez and her boys graduated from TST and continue to volunteer and share her message, “Take care of yourself, so you can take care of your children.”