Jenny Hulme and Cheryl Bruene of Tama County were awarded Human Science Program recognition awards at the Iowa State University Extension and Outreach North Central Area Awards Ceremony held Jan. 12. Contributed photo.

Iowa State University Extension and Outreach North Central Area Awards Ceremony was held on January 12, 2023. The county offices in the north-central area announced award recipients for outstanding achievements in 2022.

Awards were submitted in November of 2022 and judged by the awards committee in the South-Central Area based on the established rubric. The North Central area, which includes 22 counties in north central Iowa, received 29 award nominations; ten awards were presented in each of the areas. Tama County Extension and Outreach staff received two awards.

The Human Science Program Area Recognition Award winner is Jenny Hulme and Cheryl Bruene, Tama County. These award winners combined their efforts to address food insecurity in their local communities. They focused their programmatic efforts on food access, activated volunteers to donate produce to local food pantries, identified grants to bolster program supplies and incentives, built partnerships to build and place Little Food Pantries around the county, and convened a group of stakeholders focused on food insecurity in the area.

The Pride of Extension Award winner is Cheryl Bruene, Tama County Director. Cheryl focused her efforts this past year in furthering COVID recovery, including improving food access and financial literacy. Cheryl established the VITA (Volunteer Income Tax Assistance) program offered through extension serving 50 clients and relying on 5 volunteer tax preparers in the 2020-21 tax season.

ISU Extension and Outreach builds a strong Iowa by engaging all Iowans in research, education, and extension experiences to address current and emerging real-life challenges. Learn more at www.extension.iastate.edu.

This institution is an equal opportunity provider. For the full non-discrimination statement or accommodation inquiries, go to www.extension.iastate.edu/diversity/ext.