Promoting Eat Better; Eat Together  in your Community

If people hear or see information about your activities in more than one place, they are more likely to become involved. Good promotion and positive publicity can create excitement for Eat Better; Eat Together and generate support from volunteers and community organizations. The more creative you are, the more successful your promotion.

Involve Others to Get the Message Out!
Talk to everyone you know about Eat Better; Eat Together. If you belong to an organization, suggest an emphasis on family meals and ask others to help you promote the ideas. Community organizations often have educational events or activities on topics of concern to families and the community. These include Kiwanis, Lions Clubs, Rotary, Civitan, PTA, churches, Boys and Girls Clubs, Boy Scots of America, Girl Scouts of America, and 4-H Clubs. Local associations can support Eat Better; Eat Together by publicizing activities in press releases, newsletter announcements, informing members about activities, and volunteering to help.

Where can you put information about family meals?

• shopping malls, supermarkets posters
• community centers bulletin boards
• libraries
• recreational events
• community and youth organizations
• health fairs, hospitals, HMO's
• insurance companies
• school lunch menus. Families really do read them!
• church bulletins
• PTA newsletters
• Daycare center newsletters
• community events calendars in the newspaper or on the radio
• service club newsletters and bulletins
• school nurses

Ideas for Community Events
Invite A Special Person to Promote family meals.

• Local politicians (mayor, city council members, school board members, etc.) may have some special memories to share or they may always allow time for family meals.
• Athletes from high school, college, or professional sports teams may have a special story.
• Chefs volunteer to do community events. Contact your local chapter of the American Culinary Federation's Chef and Child Foundation or the local or state representative of the National Restaurant Association for a reference.

Sponsor a Family, Food, and Fun Night
to Promote Family Meals
For a Family, Food, and Fun Night, the school or community organization provides a family-style meal for the family and the school or community educator provides an educational program focused on eating together as a family. Service clubs may fund the dinner and the school personnel prepare the dinner.

Hold Contests
Offer poster and essay contests about family meals. Partner with local Girl Scout/Boy Scout troops, Boys and Girls Clubs or 4-H to offer a special ribbon, medal, badge or certificate for activities that promote the family meals theme.

Develop Booths and Displays
Develop booths and displays at libraries, shopping malls, community centers, health or education fairs, back-to-school events, food banks and clinics. Arrange for an Eat Better; Eat Together exhibit at health-related local races/walks/bike rides. Several topics may be appropriate and effective for a booth or display including low cost meals for families, meals that everyone in the family can help prepare, ideas for mealtime conversations and other tips for eating together.

Mail Materials to Family Centers
Mail Eat Better; Eat Together materials to daycare centers and encourage them to reproduce the materials for parents and newsletters.

Report A Family's Experiences Eating Together
Partner with a local media such as TV station, radio, or newspaper to challenge families who do not usually eat together to try it for one week and report their experiences. Did they like the extra sharing time? Was this a good experience? Would they like to do it again?

Incorporate the theme in existing programs
Check local calendars of community events at the Chamber of Commerce. Think about organizations you belong to and others who might be interested such as youth, parent, nutrition and education groups.