Eat Smart, Move More, NC Award Winners

Champion Team Award

St. Paul Missionary Baptist Church Health Ministry

The St. Paul Missionary Baptist Church Health Ministry supports people and organizations with resources to help improve health disparities in Tarboro and across North Carolina. The St. Paul Missionary Baptist Church Health Ministry's activities vary by location but generally focus on promoting the physical, mental, and spiritual well-being of its congregation and community. They utilize East Smart Move More resources and many other resources to help their congregation and their community to live healthy and productive lives. Matthew 28:16-20, known as the Great Commission, provides a biblical foundation for faithful families and thriving communities by establishing that believers are personally called to be disciples and to make disciples through baptism and teaching. This outlines their priorities to improve the health and wellbeing of those they come in contract with. Through an active social media presence and common activities including aquatics programs, walking trails, faithful prayer walkers program, and more.

Champion Team Award

North Carolina SNAP-Ed Implementing Agencies

This year we would like to provide a special recognition to the NC SNAP-Ed Implementing Agencies for being Champions in all of their hard work and dedication over the year serving North Carolina’s most vulnerable populations. The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Education (SNAP-Ed) was a evidence-based, federally funded grant program. It helped people make their SNAP dollars stretch, teaches them how to cook healthy meals, and lead physically active lifestyles. SNAP-Ed partnered with State and local organizations to meet people where they are. SNAP-Ed’s goal to implement a nutrition education and obesity prevention program for eligible individuals that promotes healthy food choices and physical activity consistent with the most recent Dietary Guidelines for Americans, directly aligns with the mission and work of Eat Smart Move More. As many of you know, SNAP-Ed was eliminated as a federally funded program following the enactment of the "One Big Beautiful Bill Act of 2025" in July 2025. This bill ended required funding for SNAP-Ed, and its elimination took effect on October 1, 2025, although unspent funds from fiscal year 2025 could still be used through fiscal year 2026. As a result, organizations that ran SNAP-Ed programs are now seeking alternative funding or are being forced to cut or re-evaluate their nutrition education services

SNAP-Ed in NC is led by the North Carolina Division of Child and Family Well-Being and is made up of nine Implementing Agencies: Alice Aycock Poe Center for Health Education, Down East Partnership for Children, Durham County Health Department, East Carolina University, North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, North Carolina State University, Second Harvest Food Bank of Northwest North Carolina, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and University of North Carolina at Greensboro. These agencies have consistently demonstrated their commitment to the mission and vision of Eat Smart, Move More NC by delivering innovative, focused nutrition and physical activity interventions that reflect the ESMMNC strategies for community change. SNAP-Ed implementing agencies have made visible and tangible contributions to improving health in underserved communities. They provide programs promoting positive behavior change related to nutrition and physical activity, specifically targeting to SNAP- Eligible audience. They support policy, systems, and environmental (PSE) change initiatives by providing site-specific resources and engaging site leadership in community collaboratives. Sites initiate change strategies that impacted North Carolinians by increasing healthy food options, increasing physical activity opportunities, and encouraging healthy choices.

Their exceptional work includes bringing evidence-based nutrition education and information to schools, faith communities, and other organizations to increase participant knowledge and skills around healthy eating and physical activity. SNAP-Ed projects in North Carolina transform food pantries into client-choice models that promote dignity and healthy decision-making, create active walking and biking routes, teach cooking skills, support school and community gardens that increase access to fresh produce, and much more. Their work is rooted in sustainable, community-led change. Their collaborative spirit has resulted in strong partnerships with Cooperative Extension, local health departments, community organizations, and schools. These agencies leverage those partnerships to address the social determinants of health and reduce disparities through culturally responsive education and supportive environments.

The NC SNAP-Ed Implementing Agencies and teams provide ongoing dedication to data-informed decision-making, community engagement, and strategic alignment with ESMMNC’s goals has improved health outcomes and elevated the standard for public health programming in North Carolina. Many curricular materials and program signage bear the logo of ESMMNC. For their exemplary leadership, commitment to health equity, and transformative community engagement, the SNAP-Ed implementing agencies are awarded this years Champion Team Award.

Representing the NC SNAP-Ed Implementing Agencies to accept the awards is Konnie Tran, SNAP Education & Outreach Coordinator, Division of Child and Family Well-Being, NCDHHS

Champion Individual Award

Caren Maloy, Nutrition Educator & Partnership Development Extension Associate with North Carolina State University

Caren provides leadership for staff, patients and community in planning, organizing, implementing, monitoring and evaluating health promotion and health education. Caren has developed and sustained Wake County community partnerships with Telamon Head Start, Salvation Army, Community Centers and Low-resource apartment complexes.

Caren has been dedicated to improving the health of Wake County communities through hands-on nutrition education and physical activity programs for youth and adults. She also leads Policy, Systems, and Environmental Change efforts at community sites and serves as a mentor for undergraduate and graduate nutrition students across North Carolina. Caren’s commitment to building strong partnerships and creating lasting health initiatives continues to make a meaningful impact! Caren also leads the Healthy Food Access Pantry Training Program with NCDHHS to increase the number of food pantries across NC who are implementing food service guidelines. Over 62 food pantries have completed the training program with dozens more being trained currently.

Caren has actively been involved with Eat Smart Move More over the years and for the 3+ years, she has developed a blog and posted resources for Eat Smart Move More’s social media.

Innovator Team Award

Wake County 4-H Youth Food Security Summit

The Wake County 4-H Youth Food Security Summit Team is a group of high school students (ages 14-18) from Wake County, NC, who work together to address food insecurity in their community. The team participates in the annual Youth Food Security Summit, which involves workshops, leadership skill development, and hands-on service projects like packing meal kits. It is organized by Wake County Cooperative Extension, in partnership with organizations like the Inter-Faith Food Shuttle and the Food Bank of Central & Eastern NC This innovative youth adult partnership works with food security partners and creates opportunities to engage youth in food and nutrition work in their community. For the past several years this team had brought together their peers and food partners to increase youth engagement around food, agriculture, and food systems.

Award received by Riley Holfcraft, Wake County 4-H Youth Development Coordinator.

Innovator Individual Award

LeighAnn Creson, Health Educator with the Person County Health Department.

LeighAnn has conducted many Community Health Assessments and worked together with committees to prioritize efforts for the coming years. She then takes those results and uses them to determine what programs need to be offered. She goes out of her way to find new avenues for funding as well as new programs to bring to Person County. Thanks to her work and effort, we have been offering the Diabetes Prevention Program in-person since 2017 in addition to offering the Diabetes Self-Management Program through Stanford University, MedSouth through UNC, and many more evidence-based programs.

LeighAnn has worked tirelessly throughout her entire career to promote health and wellness to the community by hosting education events, giving out information at vendor booths, and holding new and creative programs. Her impacts can be seen in the State of the County Health Report attached. One year, she helped co-teach the Eat Smart, Move More, Weigh Less program; we had a participant lose 16 pounds during the 15 week program. She continued on with her weight loss journey using the tools given to her in the class and lost 100 pounds within the next year.

She has been an avid promoter of the Eat Smart Move More NC program. She uses the logo and handouts, when available. She helped organize and paid for printed ESMMNC signs to be put at the elevators in the county buildings encouraging people to walk up the stairs instead of using the elevator. She also has helped promote the Holiday Challenge every year.

Student Award

Alexandra Nolte

Alexandra is a second-degree undergraduate nutrition student at North Carolina Central University. Alexandra is a cross-fit instructor and fitness coach for adults and children and manages camps and competitions to optimize fitness while recognizing the importance of nutritional fueling. Building physical fitness is her life's work.

Alexandra is also working on a formal research proposal to evaluate carbohydrate intake during the luteal phase of CrossFit athletes with 1 year or more of consistent training. Researching nutritional impact of optimal nutrition for athletes affects the community, as does coaching athletic fitness. We look forward to seeing how Alexandra continues to exemplify the mission and values to Eat Smart Move More as she continues her career.