The Fall River Government Center Municipal Employee Wellness Program offered employees the chance to learn some heart-healthy cooking skills at a February 25th, 2009, lunch-time session in the 6th floor Fall River room. The event was held to coincide with the American Heart Association's month-long focus on women and heart disease.

Jessica Williams, nutritionist for the UMass Extension Nutrition Education program, offered two hour-long cooking demonstrations, each preparing a carrot- and pepper-filled humus wrap and a black bean brownie recipe. Participants were treated to a free lunch prepared by the staff of O'Dell's Dine and Dash Cafe on the main floor of Government Center and paid for by the Children In Balance project. Other events in the month-long series included Commit To Quit smoking cessation program, a program on the risk factors for heart disease and heart-healthy food shopping by staff from the Southcoast Hospital Cardiac Prevention Program, and a blood drive by the Southcoast mobile van. The Employee Wellness Program also runs a Mega Mileage Club that encourages employees to increase their walking and a Weight-Watchers group that meets weekly in the City Council Hearing Room. For more information about the Municipal Employee Wellness Program and sign-ups at any time, contact Julianne Kelly at 508-324-2405.

(Top row, left and right) Children In Balance project manager Marcia Picard passes out bottled water to the more than fifty Government Center employees who participated in the lunch time sessions. (Top row, center and right) Brenda Ritz, Nadine Castro and Maria Gonzalves enjoy the free lunch before listening to UMass Extension Nutrition Education nutritionist Jessica Williams. (Middle row, left) Debbie Viveiros and City grant writer Jane Dibiasio look over some of the materials given to each participant. (Middle row, right) Health Department staff Claudia Viens, Geri Anger, Linda Saravo and Barbara Nikinas pay close attention to the presentation. (Bottom row, left) Jessica describes the ingredients in the black-bean brownies: brownie mix, black beans and water. (Bottom row, center) Municipal Employee Wellness Coordinator Julianne Kelly describes some of the resources for smoking cessation available through the employee benefits packages. (Bottom row, right) Jessica talks with Claudia Viens, Carla Otoni, Maria Gonzalves and Nadine Castro at the end of the session.