BOURBONNAIS, Ill. – Each month University of Illinois Extension serving Grundy, Kankakee, and Will counties sits down with an Extension staff member to discuss their work and impact in the community.
This month's spotlight follows Janet Moody, SNAP-Ed community worker serving Kankakee County, who will be retiring in January after a 20-year career with Illinois Extension. In this role, Moody provides educational programming directly to the community about nutrition and healthy lifestyle choices as part of Illinois Extension's SNAP-Ed program, which exists in Illinois under the branding, Eat.Move.Save.
How long have you worked with Illinois Extension and what do you like most about your job?
"I started in February of 2006 as a part time academic hourly employee split between FNP (the former name of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program education Food Stamps), and 'Youth.' My time with 'Youth,' primarily 4-H, brought me great joy. At the same time, I was developing my skills in Nutrition Education.
In August 2011, I became a full-time SNAP-Ed Community Outreach Worker. I really enjoy the diversity of people that I work with. My go-to group has always been K-2nd graders, but over the years, I have stretched my skills and now thoroughly enjoy working with adults.
Due to the recent changes in the SNAP-Ed program, I will be retiring on January 1, 2026. I can say with great pride that over the years, I have grown more confident in myself and my skills. I will be forever grateful for my years here with Extension."
Extension is heavily focused on community impact - Can you tell us about a project you are excited about that you have completed or are currently planning that will help the community?
"As part of my SNAP-Ed career, one of my greatest joys has been witnessing the growth of knowledge that my adult participants gain in our Create Better Health series of classes. This program gives participants the knowledge and confidence to use simple ingredients and techniques to make tasty, healthy meals for their family. There is nothing like seeing a smile of confidence on the face of a young mom as she tastes a simple, easy recipe that her family will enjoy, using ingredients that she was a bit unsure of."
What does Extension's Mission and Vision mean to you and how do those ideas connect with your own values or goals in your role?
"The title 'Lifelong Learning. Lifelong Impact.' itself rings true with me. The vision of offering sustainable development, lifelong learning, and community resilience fits my personal vision for what I and the church can and will be able to do in Kankakee County. Lifelong learning lets us know that we are NEVER finished learning about ourselves and our world, no matter our age, and that brings about impact in every part of the world, in every corner our influence."
What is your FAVORITE Extension program or resource and why?
"I was an 11 year 4-H member here in Kankakee County, so I really value the entire 4-H Program World. From the ripe old age of 8 years old, I learned how to tell my fellow members about one of my projects, continuing from there to becoming the club president, running a meeting using 'Robert's Rules of Order.' I am fully convinced that without these skills and values learned at such a young age I would NOT be the woman I am now.
In my current life stage, I find that the volunteer piece of 4-H is most I important to me. I have been able to take a very small part in the volunteer program as a general project judge. It is a privilege to be a part of such a great organization, being a part of helping create and nurture the next generation of this community’s leaders."
To learn more about 4-H in your county, visit go.illinois.edu/About4hGKW
Outside of work, what are some of your favorite hobbies?
"I have a strong, deep commitment to my faith, which reflects in the things I do in the United Methodist Church. As I retire, I intend to spend even more time serving my community. I have always LOVED to read, almost anything I can get my hands on. Arts and Crafts have brought me peace and healing over the years and there comes a point every so often that I feel like I must do something creative. I enjoy painting, coloring and drawing. I share my life with my precious emotional support cats, Bert and Ernie. They are litter mates that will be 12 in the spring of 2026."
The Eat.Move.Save. program, which impacts over 1 million residents annually, is currently in the process of being sunset due to a loss of federal funding, affecting nearly 2,000 statewide partnerships and cutting over 200 jobs — more than one-quarter of the Illinois Extension’s workforce. You can read more about the impacts of Eat.Move.Save. on Illinois residents in a recent news report. If you would like to get involved in determining solutions for how Illinois moves forward to combat nutrition security, reach out to Jennifer McCaffrey at jmccaffr@illinois.edu.
Writer: Anthony Warmack, Communications and marketing coordinator.
Source: Janet Moody, SNAP-Ed community worker. Beth Peralta, Family and Consumer Sciences Digital Nutrition Education Senior Manager.
Media Access: For press inquiries, contact Anthony Warmack, warmacka@illinois.edu, 217-244-5813. Want to keep in touch with news from Illinois Extension? Sign up for press updates.
University of Illinois Extension develops educational programs, extends knowledge, and builds partnerships to support people, communities, and their environments as part of the state's land-grant institution. Extension serves as the leading public outreach effort for University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences in all 102 Illinois counties through a network of 27 multi-county units and over 700 staff statewide. Extension’s mission is responsive to eight strategic priorities — community, economy, environment, food and agriculture, health, partnerships, technology and discovery, and workforce excellence — that are served through six program areas — 4-H youth development, agriculture and agribusiness, community and economic development, family and consumer science, integrated health disparities, and natural resources, environment, and energy.