CNDH: Director's Message

By Dr. Lillie Monroe-Lord, Ph.D., RD, LD

The Center for Nutrition, Diet and Health (CNDH), a program within the University of the District of Columbia's College of Agriculture, Urban Sustainability and Environmental Sciences (CAUSES), is most pleased to present this feature regarding our offerings and activities. The following reports show the progress and and impact that CNDH has made toward improving consumer awareness and health sustaining behaviors among District residents and the professionals serving them through education projects related to food, nutrition and health.

Throughout the year, the Center focused its efforts on assisting District residents to acquire and improve knowledge, skills and behaviors associated with health and well-being throughout the life cycle and with utmost cultural sensitivity. Attention was dedicated to finding ways to address the needs of families to cooperate as holistic interdependent units to build and maintain healthy lifestyles. We remained tethered to a motto of: "healthy persons, families and communities in D.C. must eat well to live well." We also attempted to promote the idea that healthy adjuncts to preventive care and self-management of good food and nutrition always include practicing food safety, drinking water and getting adequate amounts of outdoor physical activity.

The Center takes this opportunity to acknowledge the many hands that have contributed to the making of our proverbial pie. Gratitude goes to the U.S. Department of Agriculture for support of the Center's programs as part of the landgrant activities for state educational institutions. We express a world of thanks for the continued support and contribution of administrators, staff and faculty at UDC and especially to my colleagues in CAUSES for making the impact that it has in such a small period of time, despite being the newest of the University's colleges.

We are most proud and appreciative of the collaboration provided by our partnering organizations and stakeholders throughout the District as well as partnering sites that assist us in contacting the constituents we serve. Lastly, we acknowledge and honor the thousands of residents who seek out and take advantage of our program menu. Without their interest and participation, our efforts would be meaningless.

In this feature, we invite you to examine in detail some of our programming and activities. CNDH expects to continue to work diligently to build new programs that are responsive to the most immediate needs of the resident populations in the nation's capital. Efforts are already underway to revitalize existing successes and seek new funding for needed projects and staff development. My door is always open to welcome your comments and suggestions to assist CNDH in improving the quality of life and economic opportunity of people and communities in the District of Columbia, the nation and the world.

Live well and stay healthy.