2:41 p.m., June 1, 2010----University of Delaware Cooperative Extension has received a $5,000 grant from the Fund for Women of the Delaware Community Foundation. The grant was distributed at the fund's annual awards program, held in late May at the Deerfield Country Club in Newark.

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The grant was awarded to Kathleen Splane, an Extension educator for family and consumer science, to fund a series of workshops for family meal providers. This innovative initiative will give low-resource parents the tools they need to prepare healthy and cost-effective meals at home. The program will be offered at two state of Delaware Housing Authority locations in Kent County.

“The benefits of shared family meals are myriad,” says Splane. “Children who eat regular meals with their families are more likely to consume more dairy products and increase fruit and vegetable consumption. Beyond the nutritional benefits, research has shown that children and teens who eat meals with their families are less likely to drink alcohol, smoke cigarettes, or use marijuana and other drugs.”

The Fund for Women awarded grants to 13 nonprofit organizations this year. More than 90 nonprofits applied for funding. The fund was established in 1993 as an endowment of the Delaware Community Foundation. Since then, it has awarded more than $1.3 million in grants to Delaware nonprofit programs that help women and girls avoid abuse and poverty, improve their physical and mental health and gain financial independence.

Jan Seitz, associate dean of the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources and director of UD Cooperative Extension, said she is doubly proud of the Extension grant because she is a Fund for Women founder.

“When I learned how the Fund for Women harnesses the collective philanthropy of women, I knew I had to get involved,” recalls Seitz. “This group has helped more than 220 nonprofits do very important work to improve the lives of Delaware women. I'm honored to be a Fund Founder and honored that Extension has received a 2010 grant award.”

For more information about UD Cooperative Extension programs, including nutrition programs, contact your county Extension office, (302) 856-7303 in Sussex, (302) 730-4000 in Kent or (302) 831-COOP in New Castle County, or see the Extension website.