When my youngest child went away to college, I decided to return to school myself and pursue a new career. 

At age 52, I began a Master's program in Integrative Nutrition. This was a completely new direction for me. The prior 15 years had been spent working in the art world and as a CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate) working with foster children in the community.

When I heard that Oasis provides opportunities to teach children and adults how to live more healthy lifestyles, I was interested. The epidemic of childhood obesity and related diseases is an alarming concern in this country. If we can establish the knowledge and skills to make healthy choices at a very young age, we can change the course of these children's lives.

Now as a CATCH Healthy Habits volunteer, I am teaching children about the importance of nutrition and how to eat healthy. The lessons on sugar are just one example of how the program guides people of all ages to make informed choices about food.

Watching out for hidden sugar

For some time now, there has been a misconception that sugar (or glucose) is an unhealthy part of a diet that should be avoided at all costs. When consumed in moderation, sugar is a healthy part of a diet that is needed by our bodies to function.

Added sugars and syrups that are hiding in our foods are a different story. These are added to foods or beverages to enhance their flavor. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that our daily intake of added sugars should not consist of more than 10% of our daily caloric intake. This is challenging, since many of the foods we eat today have added sugars as well as other ingredients.

“Low-fat” and “fat-free” food products and beverages have become what many people believe to be healthier options. Although promoted as such, these products often contain more added sugar when compared to their “full fat” equivalents. Added sugars increase the number of calories and do not provide any nutrients. Consuming high levels of added sugars increases risk of obesity, Type II diabetes, heart disease, cancer and dental decay.

Sugars are a natural part of many foods that benefit the body. Comparing the nutrition facts of low-fat and fat-free foods to their “full fat” alternatives, as well as checking the ingredients found in everything we eat, can help us make the healthiest choices.

The fun of helping kids and adults learn how to be healthier

I am getting more from the program than I ever anticipated. I really look forward to my Wednesday afternoons with the kids I have come to know and enjoy so much. Being around young, energetic individuals makes me feel young and energized! The program’s physical activities encourage all of us to get outside and move. There is always a lot of laughter and silliness. I think the volunteers often have as much fun as the kids!

It is extremely rewarding to review the prior nutrition lessons with the kids and have them remember so many important facts. Their knowledge base builds each week and they are so excited about what they know! They love sharing information about the nutritious meals they ate or helped prepare with their families. I feel that we are truly helping to establish good lifelong habits. While leading the lessons on nutrition for children, volunteers often find themselves reminded of important information they can incorporate into their own lifestyles.

About CATCH Healthy Habits

Donna Abinoe volunteers with CATCH Healthy Habits in Bethesda, Maryland through the Washington Metropolitan Oasis center. Volunteers meet weekly with children in grades K-5 to lead fun, active games, share healthy snacks and learn about good food choices.  More than 12,000 adults and 25,000 children have benefited from this program and a similar one called Healthy Habits for Adults. Both are sponsored nationally by Anthem Foundation. 

CATCH Healthy Habits is sponsored in Maryland by Amerigroup Foundation.

Annabelle Faveron is sold on eating healthier, feeling better and volunteering with CATCH Healthy Habits.

“As a volunteer, I’ve learned a lot about nutrition,” says Annabelle. “It has helped me make changes in my diet. Amazingly, once I started eating healthier, I began to feel better.”

Feeling better was a must-do for Annabelle, who struggled with considerable nerve damage after an automobile accident. Pain medications and therapies were not helping, but she found something much more fun that really worked: the Oasis CATCH Healthy Habits program at Bronx House in New York City.

Annabelle’s experience is something that many CATCH Healthy Habits volunteers across the country report: teaching children about good nutrition and the benefits of physical activity actually has a positive impact on their own health. It’s CATCHing and its fun!

Oasis CATCH Healthy Habits is the nation’s largest evidence-based, intergenerational health program. It unites caring volunteers age 50+ with children to inspire healthy eating and physical activity habits for a lifetime. Volunteers meet weekly with children after school and in summer camps, providing healthy snacks, a lesson and fun, active games.The program is active in 11 cities and has benefited more than 25,000 children and 12,000 adults.

Volunteers are needed to work with kids!  Learn more about where you can volunteer.

Anthem Foundation supports the program nationally.  In the Bronx, CATCH Healthy Habits is supported by Empire BlueCross BlueShield Foundation.

Teaching adults is just as fun and rewarding

As a volunteer leader for Oasis Healthy Habits for Adults, Jean MacDonald knows she has helped older adults arm themselves with the information they need to eat healthier and get more physical activity into their daily routines.

“We provide a real service,” says Jean, of Portland, Maine. “It’s so important to know what’s in the food you eat and to stay active. A lot of exercises can be done sitting down in a chair. We encourage participants to try something new each week to build stamina and flexibility.”

The one-hour sessions are based on information in the Oasis Healthy Living Guide for Adults, a free resource full of tips, recipes and suggestions for simple exercises that adults can do at their own pace. The guide is available in English and Spanish.

“When we start each class, we try to share the progress we’ve made during the week with diet and exercise,” says Jean. “I have been blown away to hear them list what they are accomplishing. Many seem proud to report to someone what they are doing.”

Training and materials are available for volunteers interested in teaching Healthy Habits for Adults.
Choose a city to learn more.

These volunteers are featured in the 2015 Oasis Annual Report.

Even if you shun the sugar bowl, there can be spoonfuls of added sugar hiding out in your food and drinks. Too much sugar can lead to weight gain and high blood sugar levels.

Oasis volunteers Joyce Rollins and Mary McFerson find the sugar in some common foods in this video:

Did you know?

A 12 ounce can of regular soda contains 39 grams of sugar – almost 10 teaspoons. One can is more than the daily limit recommended by the American Heart Association ( 6 teaspoons for women or 9 teaspoons for men.)

You can check the Nutrition Facts label on a packaged food item to find out how much sugar it contains. Four grams equals one teaspoon of sugar.

The Skinny on Sugar is one of a series of Oasis “Healthy Habits for Adults” classes that offer tasty, good-for you recipes, energizing activities and practical tips to stay on track with healthy eating and physical activity. 

Many of the tips are published in the Oasis “Healthy Living Guide for Adults” –  available to download for free.

Since July 2015, more than 3,200 adults have participated in the Healthy Habits for Adults workshops in 11 states. Evaluations show that 88 percent of participants are sure they can be more physically active and 91 percent are confident they will eat healthier.

The Healthy Living Guide and Healthy Habits for Adults classes are supported by Anthem Foundation.

Three volunteers have gone the extra mile at the Allisonville Elementary AYS (At Your School) program in Indianapolis to help kids build a healthier future.

Dorothy Summers teaches the children about healthy eating

Dorothy is so compelling as she tells the children the story of Hearty Heart – a mythical intergalactic character – that some kids ask if he is real.

“Children are willing to learn about nutrition and exercise,” says Dorothy, a former teacher. “I see them making changes in their attitude and awareness of their health,” she says. “They notice that we volunteers are older, but still active and healthy.”

Dorothy says the program has benefited her own lifestyle choices.

“I started paying attention to my health before I started with the program. Now I am sure to read labels and make note even when eating in restaurants. I stay moving as well, every day.”

Grace Broten brings healthy, appealing snacks

“My work with the children is very rewarding to me, “ says Grace. “They are attentive and have good and thoughtful insight on the topics we discuss.”

Grace first heard about the program at a Healthy Habits for Adults class.  She takes her role as the snack provider to another level. For Thanksgiving she put “Snacking on the trail” mix in colorful bags with a Thanksgiving poem on the front. She explains the nutritional value of each snack, reinforcing their knowledge of healthy choices.

Josephine Poelinitz, a retired music teacher, brings energy, music and fun

 A retired music teacher, Josephine leads games and aerobic activities set to catchy tunes that are simple enough to learn quickly.

“This experience was a grand outlet for me to incorporate vocal music and movement in the activities. The children have shared some of these games and exercises with their friends.”

A 20-year devotee of a plant-based diet, Josephine is concerned about the health of the country and the environment.

“Good eating habits must be established at a young age. As one first grader told us, ‘I must keep my body  strong so I can help take care of our planet.’  The children are sharing information about good habits with their parents, relatives and friends. It gives me hope that health conditions in our country will improve.”

“These volunteers have really supported each other in their roles,” says Debby Wright, CATCH Healthy Habits coordinator for Indianapolis Oasis. “It is a joy to watch this team at work!”

Learn more about opportunities to volunteer with the program:

• in Indianapolis, or
• in other cities

Sponsored by           

They’re here! Hearing those words of excitement from children every Tuesday morning for eight weeks this summer made me feel really good about choosing to volunteer with Oasis through the Maritz Employee Community Engagement Program.

I joined my colleagues to serve as volunteers with the Oasis CATCH Healthy Habits program, working with kindergarteners at Lakeside Children’s Academy in Valley Park, MO.

For an hour each week, the Oasis/Maritz team helped kids learn good eating and physical activity habits for a lifetime. During the project, we provided 1) hands-on nutrition lessons – stressing the importance of “GO, WHOA, SLOW” foods, 2) healthy snacks, and 3) fun, active games.

Each team member assumed a specific weekly task. I planned the healthy snacks. Maritz retiree Andi Hall and Jill Svejkosky, an Oasis volunteer and retired elementary school teacher, prepared the lesson plan. My colleague Patricia Roberts organized and led the games.

“Oasis provided me with a box of over 300 game ideas from which I could choose three to four games per visit,” said Patricia. “I even got some great ideas for games and healthy snacks to use with my great-nieces, Abigail (10) and the twins, Ellie and Caitie (6).”

Through the Maritz Employee Community Engagement Program, we have the opportunity to make a positive difference in the lives of the people in our community. Maritz has very generously offered to let us do that on their time. When we accept the challenge to give of our time and of ourselves to help make the community better, we end up bettering ourselves in the process. While it’s not about making US better, that’s a nice BONUS. Everyone wins!

Debbie Schirmer is Community Affairs Director at Maritz.

You can’t kid a kid.

Four-year CATCH Healthy Habits volunteer Malcolm “Hoagy” Carmichael knows he can count on his young after-school friends to keep him on his toes and take good care of himself, while he encourages them to do the same.

“You can’t tell these kids to do something, and then not do it yourself,” says Hoagy, 75, who volunteers in the Santee School District, in San Diego County, California, where the program is supported by the Anthem Blue Cross Foundation. “I’m definitely more physically active and catch myself making adjustments in what I eat.”

Hoagy is among 8,600 adults age 50+ who have volunteered or participated in wellness workshops based on CATCH Healthy Habits content since 2011. Volunteers work with children in after-school and summer programs across the country. In each program, the 25, one-hour sessions include at least 30 minutes of fun, active games, hands-on nutrition lessons and a healthy snack.

Snack preparation is Hoagy’s forté.

“The kids are listening to the lessons and taking it in,” he says. “Some are starting to request healthy snacks at home. It’s happening slowly, but eventually they will take what they’re learning into their future lives.”
A seasoned volunteer for a number of organizations, Hoagy ranks intergenerational programs, especially OASIS Tutoring and CATCH Healthy Habits, as the most satisfying for him.

“Kids are so hungry for doing things with older people,” he says. “Working with them makes me feel really connected to the community. Never in my wildest dreams did I think I would be doing something like this…but here I am.”

Made possible with generous support of Anthem Foundation, Oasis CATCH Healthy Habits is the nation’s largest evidence-based, intergenerational health program.

The Impact of CATCH Healthy Habits

• 23,500 children and 8,600 adults have been served.
• The program has been offered in 21 cities across 17 states. 

Download a summary of the program

Hoagy Carmichael is featured in the 2014 Oasis Annual Report. 

St. Louis, Missouri – May 18, 2015 – A recent blog by New Orleans Saints Quarterback Drew Brees, co-chair of the President’s Council on Fitness, Sports & Nutrition, highlighted the progress underway in bringing physical activity back to America’s schools just five short years after the launching of First Lady Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move! initiative. More than 14,000 schools and champions have signed up to get children to be more active and eat healthier.

One of those champions, a program called CATCH Healthy Habits, is taking the concept a step further. Operated by The Oasis Institute in partnership with local schools, Boys & Girls Clubs, YMCAs, Parks & Recreation departments, and other agencies in 21 cities in 17 states, CATCH Healthy Habits engages adult volunteers, age 50 and up, to teach young school age children the benefits of regular physical activity and good nutrition. In the process, results show both generations are learning and adopting healthier behaviors that will help reduce obesity and improve their quality of life.

“In only five years, CATCH Healthy Habits has become the nation’s largest evidence-based, intergenerational program that improves the health and well-being of thousands of both children and older adults,”

stated Marcia Kerz, Oasis Institute president. More than 23,500 children and 8,800 older adults have participated in Oasis CATCH Healthy Habits since 2011, through its unique design of uniting caring adult volunteers to inspire children to adopt healthy eating and physical activity habits for a lifetime.

During weekly sessions, both generations have fun playing active games, learning about nutrition through hands-on activities, and preparing and eating delicious healthy snacks. Volunteers share their own experiences as they teach the difference between WHOA foods, foods that should be enjoyed moderately or sometimes, and GO foods, including fruits and vegetables that can be enjoyed anytime. Healthy snacks like Fruit Kabobs, Cereal of the Stars and Ants on a Stick, and active games called Leapin’ Lizards, Can’t Touch This and The Snail Trail appeal to all ages and add a sense of adventure to the learning.

National results show that the program is having a positive impact on both children and adults. Sixty-five percent of children and 81% of adults met or exceeded CDC physical activity recommendations, with both generations eating more fruits and vegetables, engaging in more frequent exercise, and sharing healthy eating and active living habits with friends and family members as a result of participating in the program.

“This unique program helps children and older adults adopt healthy lifelong habits that include regular physical activity and good nutrition,” explained Shellie Pfohl, Executive Director of the President’s Council on Fitness, Sports & Nutrition. “We are proud to work with organizations like Oasis that are dedicated to increasing physical activity and good nutrition for all generations. Our mission to help all Americans lead healthy, active lives is enhanced by the work that our partners do in this space.”

Among Oasis CATCH Healthy Habits volunteers, close to three out of four (74%) reported that their health improved from fair or poor to good and three out of ten (30%) reported engaging in activities that increased muscle strength. Other outcomes included improved flexibility and improved balance, which help reduce the risk of injury due to falls among older adults.

The after school and summer program aligns with the Let’s Move! Campaign’s goals and meets National Health Education Standards. It is funded nationwide by Anthem Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Anthem, Inc.

About Oasis

Oasis is a national education organization dedicated to enriching the lives of adults age 50 and older. For more information on Oasis CATCH Healthy Habits, go to www.catchhealthyhabits.org.

For tips on ways to be active, visit www.fitness.gov and the National Physical Fitness and Sports Month toolkit page at healthfinder.gov/NHO/MayToolkit.aspx.

Contact:

Joan Berkman
314-799-1204
facewatchers@swbell.net

It’s official! CATCH Healthy Habits has received special recognition straight from the top in four metro areas: St. Louis, MO; San Diego, CA; Montgomery County, MD; and Portland, ME.

The mayors in each of these cities and the County Executive in Maryland declared a “CATCH Healthy Habits Day” to highlight the importance of Oasis’ mission to unite children and adults age 50+ in the fight against childhood obesity. The announcements were made in grand style, with official proclamations!

Proclamations are made to signify matters of great importance, and with generous support from Anthem Foundation, we’re doing work that will have lasting impact.

The nation’s largest evidence-based, intergenerational health program that unites caring adult volunteers to inspire children to adopt healthy eating and physical activity habits for a lifetime, CATCH Healthy Habits is creating positive changes that get better every year!

Look how far we’ve come in just five years:

• Nearly 23,000 kids and 8,600 adults 50+ have benefited from the program.
• Both adults and children report eating more fruits and vegetables and cutting down on screen time.
• 65% of children and 81% of adults met or exceeded CDC recommendations for moderate-to-vigorous physical activity.
• CATCH volunteers have dedicated 75,000 hours of service valued at $1.5 million.

Now that’s something to celebrate!