Harrison County Extension Agent Louraiseal McDonald returned home this week as the recipient of the Community Partnership Award, presented at the 2022 Texas Extension Association of Family and Consumer Sciences Awards Celebration, held in Decatur.
McDonald’s won the award because of its partnership with Community Healthcore in which it helped provide inclusion programs for young adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, young adults served by the agency had limited access to fun, educational and enrichment programs. To help address the problem, the Harrison Family and Community Health Committee, under McDonald’s leadership, stepped in to offer gardening, nutrition and fitness programs to this targeted audience.
McDonald said it was rewarding to be able to partner with Community Healthcore to help meet the needs.
“I enjoyed working with Community Healthcore,” she says.
“I appreciate Paddy Brady asking the extension service to provide educational programs for his clients, especially during the pandemic and helping me think outside the box to reach another audience,” McDonald said.
Community Healthcore serves as the government authority in rural northeast Texas for mental health, intellectual and developmental disabilities, and substance use disorders. The agency serves local children, adults and families who are looking for resources, support and networking opportunities. The mission is to help people achieve dignity, independence and their dreams.
Patti Brady, community development specialist for Community Healthcore, noted in her letter of recommendation to the awards committee that the agency has benefited from programs offered by Harrison County Agrilife Extension services for more than five years. The programs have enabled the agency to fulfill its mission to help its clients achieve dignity, independence and their dreams.
“Over the past year, the partnership between Community Healthcore and Texas A&M Agrilife Extension Services has grown exponentially in the Harrison County area,” Brady wrote. “This partnership has helped provide the much-needed opportunity for connection and health and wellness resources for the people we serve.”
Brady explained that over the past year, clients have experienced continued uncertainty, loneliness and isolation due to the global pandemic.
“It limited them to many community activities and events which overall were affecting their health and well-being,” Brady said. “Texas A&M Harrison County Extension Office and Harrison County Extension Officer Louraiseal McDonald have reached out and offered more educational health and wellness programs with a flexible and convenient option in person or on BlueJeans (online platform).”
Brady said they are grateful that the programs are offered free of charge, without causing financial burden to the clients they serve.
Through Community Healthcore’s partnership with the county extension agency, Community Healthcore customers have had the opportunity to participate in various Family and Consumer Sciences and Better Living Texans programs such as “Do Well Be Well with Diabetes,” Walk Across Texas”, “A Fresh Start Being Healthier”, and the “Heart Health Seminar”.
“Our goal at Community Healthcore is to ensure that the people we serve not only receive support for their emotional and mental health, but also for their physical health,” Brady said. “People with severe mental disorders tend to die earlier on average than the general population.
“The vast majority of these deaths are due to chronic physical medical conditions such as cardiovascular, respiratory and infectious diseases, diabetes and hypertension,” Brady added. “It is therefore extremely important for us to be able to partner with organizations like AgriLife Extension Services to help us in our mission.
Brady said Community Healthcore is grateful for the partnership and looks forward to continued growth.
“Harrison County Extension Office and Louraiseal McDonald have gone above and beyond to ensure that health and wellness programs are available to everyone we serve in Harrison County and all counties that we serve,” Brady said.
Paula Butler, regional program manager for Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service, also commended McDonald’s for a job well done in overcoming the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic by always meeting community needs.
“At the start of the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, county extension workers were faced with the challenge of addressing county issues without the capacity of traditional face-to-face educational response,” Butler said. “While some saw this as a barrier, Louraiseal McDonald, Liz Buckner and Felicia Thompson seized the opportunity and partnered to plan and implement a series of highly successful virtual education programs using the curriculum” Growing and Nourishing Healthy Communities”.
Butler said the team reached out to community partners and colleagues in agriculture and horticulture, including master gardeners and master beekeepers.
“These people helped provide the gardening series focused on growing vegetables for home use,” Butler said. “By navigating the online platform and learning from week to week, the officers put together a course that was well received by participants and produced significant impacts on the program.”
McDonald and fellow agents continued to implement online and face-to-face programs in 2021, including the new target audience.
“These agents are to be commended for their innovation and teamwork efforts and their ability to respond to customer needs and interests,” Butler said.
District Extension Administrator Shelia Harris also praised McDonald’s in her letter of recommendation to the awards committee. Harris described McDonald as a great educator and a great resource in the county.
Harris said the programs McDonald’s presented to Community Healthcore participants help the target audience be more independent and live healthier, more productive and fulfilling lives.
“132 people were reached across Harrison County, including a diverse clientele audience and some of the programs were offered in-person and hybridized to meet the needs of all county residents,” Harrison said.
The efforts provided participants with a social outlet for further interaction and learning opportunities in a safe environment.
Harris noted that in addition to working with Community Healthcore, McDonald’s works closely with other community organizations, such as the local hospital and other healthcare-related partners to improve overall programming.
“Ms. McDonald is fully deserving of this award, as her passion and dedication to educational programming for the residents of Harrison (county) is evident from this community partnership,” said Harris.
McDonald said she looks forward to many more work opportunities with Community Healthcore as well as Marshall ISD’s 18 Plus Transition Program, led by transitioning teacher Thecela Cooks.
“It’s been a great partnership and I look forward to continuing to work with Patty and Community Healthcore as well as Ms. Cook,” McDonald said.