< PreviousWhile the Auburn Tigers and Califor- nia Golden Bears face off on the football field in Berkeley, California, on Sept. 9, an initiative called the +Add Milk! Healthy Fluid Milk Incentive will be working si- multaneously in both states, allowing shoppers to save money while making healthier food and beverage choices. The Hunger Solutions Institute (HSI) in Auburn University’s College of Hu- man Sciences launched the +Add Milk! Healthy Fluid Milk Incentive (HFMI) in June with a goal to increase the pur- chase of healthy fluid milk (nonfat and low-fat) by low-income consumers participating in the Supplemental Nu- trition Assistance Program (SNAP). For every dollar of SNAP benefits a partici- pant uses to purchase healthy fluid milk, +Add Milk! provides a dollar incentive as a coupon or discount to redeem for ad- ditional SNAP items. Currently, +Add Milk! provides healthy fluid milk to numerous locations through- out Alabama, California, Georgia and South Dakota, with 79 of those locations being Mother’s Nutritional Centers in California. “Nutrition incentive programs, like +Add Milk!, are important in helping SNAP households access healthy foods by not only providing financial incen- tives, but also by collaborating with lo- cal, independent retailers who already provide incredible customer service to SNAP households,” said Alicia Powers, managing director of Auburn’s Hun- ger Solutions Institute. “HSI is thrilled to collaborate with Mother’s Nutritional Center, a respected retailer in California known for their personalized shopping experience, locations in areas with lim- ited food access and appeal to a diverse customer base.” Earlier this year, HSI officials contact- ed a team at Mother’s Nutritional Center where Nancy Knauer works as the pro- gram director for programs implement- ed at the nutritional center’s chain of stores. “We are a local corner store, in com- munities where people walk to the stores,” she said. “We are in five counties in California and our emphasis is very much on customer service. It’s such a personalized shopping experience here, we know our customers by name.” Customers at the center’s stores should be positively affected by this in- centive program because their access to fresh, healthy food and beverage choic- es could be limited, compared to those in other highly populated areas where access to healthier food is easier. “For California, the SNAP program is called CalFresh, and I think it’s going to be a great plus because people that shop with us most are using CalFresh and for them it’s doubling up their dol- lars,” Knauer said. “With the price of gro- ceries so high, it really allows them to get more with their benefits and a lot of peo- ple need help nowadays in getting more from their dollar.” The HFMI program was established as part of the 2018 Farm Bill to promote milk as part of a healthy, balanced diet consistent with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Overall, Americans are consuming less milk and in particular, low-income households usually pur- chase more high-fat milk than low-fat milk. Low-fat milk is an important part of a healthy diet, and health researchers have warned these declines over time could have health impacts on future generations. Studies have shown that incentive programs, like +Add Milk!, in- crease the purchase and consumption of incentivized food. Michael Dykes, president and CEO of the International Dairy Foods Associ- ation who also earned his Doctor of Vet- erinary Medicine from Auburn in 1982, believes in the HFMI program and the impact it will make throughout the na- tion. “In the face of ongoing food insecu- rity, it is crucial that we discover means to maximize the value of SNAP benefits by promoting the consumption of nu- trient-dense foods,” he said. “We are immensely grateful for the exception- al talent and expertise of Auburn HSI in driving this program forward, as we work together to foster healthier eating habits.” +ADD MILK! BY GRAHAM BROOKS 50 UNIVERSITY NEWS AUBURNTIGERS.COM The +Add Milk! Healthy Fluid Milk Incentive program will provide healthy fluid milk to 79 Mother’s Nutritional Centers located throughout five coun- ties in California. International Dairy Foods Association President and CEO Michael Dykes speaks at Wright’s Market in Opelika to celebrate the launch of the +Add Milk! Healthy Fluid Milk Incentive program in June. AUBURN’S HUNGER SOLUTIONS INSTITUTE, CALIFORNIA COLLABORATE IN NATIONWIDE MILK INCENTIVE PROGRAMCardiacandVascularAwards from EastAlabamaMedicalCenteristheONLYhospital inAlabamatobeamongthetop5% ofhospitalsnationwideforcardiacsurgery! 2023Women'sChoiceAwardsBestHospitalsfor CancerCare,Orthopedics,andObstetrics Congratulationstoourstaff forearningtheseprestigiousawards! ServingOpelika,Auburn,Valleyandan11-countycoveragearea52 MEET THE COACHES: OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR PHILIP MONTGOMERY Faith, family and football. For Philip Montgomery, that’s what matters. That’s what is important to him. As an offensive coordinator in the SEC, he spends a lot of his time in the office or on the football field or out on the road recruiting. But when he does get away, it’s all about family. “I wish I had more hobbies,” Montgomery said. “My wife tells me I need more hobbies. But honestly, when we get time away from here, I want to go spend it with my wife and my kids. Whether that’s going to the lake, watching a movie together, playing cards together, going out on the grill – it’s just spend- ing quality time with my family.” Montgomery, who accepted the Auburn offensive coordi- nator job in December, comes to The Plains from Tulsa where he was the head coach for the last eight seasons. His time at Tulsa might not have ended the way he had hoped, but Montgomery is proud of the work they did there. In eight seasons, he led the Golden Hurricane to four bowl games, including a 10-3 record in 2016 and back-to-back bowl appearances in 2020 and 2021. During his tenure, he coached 44 all-conference performers and three All-Americans. More importantly, Montgomery got to do it with his family by his side … literally. “We look back at our time there as a really positive thing,” he said. “We had some great years there, got to experience some things that not everybody would get to. My son played for me. My daughter was a college cheerleader and a flyer. That experience, to have all my kids on the field at the same time with me at a Division I level – that probably never hap- pens.’ The next chapter for Montgomery is at Auburn, and his family is coming with him. His son, Cannon, is a graduate assistant coach on the football team. His daughter, Maci, also moved to Auburn where she will be a graduate student this fall. The biggest adjustment for Montgomery will be transition- ing back into the role of offensive coordinator after serving as a head coach since 2015. It’s an adjustment he’s looking forward to. Prior to becoming a head coach, he was one of the top offensive coordinators in college football. In 2013, while at Baylor, he was named a finalist for the Broyles Award. “I think the biggest draw for me was as the offensive coordinator, I get to really focus on ball and I get to focus on the offense,” Montgomery said. “As the head coach, you get pulled in a lot of different directions. As the offensive coordi- nator, you really put all your focus and your attention on that side of it, continuing to build our offense and build our players within that.” First-year head coach Hugh Freeze has already an- nounced that Montgomery will call the plays for Auburn’s offensive this coming season, which will be nothing new for the veteran coach. He’s always called plays, even as the head coach at Tulsa. It will be an adjustment for Freeze who, like Montgomery, has always called plays. But the two share similar philosophies on offense and have worked well together throughout the offseason. Ultimately, it was Freeze who convinced Montgomery to jump back into coaching after being let go at Tulsa. He could have taken a year off. He could have waited for another head coaching job to come open. But he chose to come to Auburn. “It was a special opportunity,” Montgomery said. “After sit- ting down with Hugh and getting to visit with him and seeing his vision for this place, my wife and I felt like this was a great chance to get in on an opportunity to build a program back to where it’s traditionally been. That was exciting to us.” Auburn wasn’t a hard sell either. For Montgomery, it’s a place that shares his same core values – faith, family and football. “The people here at the university and in the community and all the alumni out there, there’s just a different feel and atmosphere to it all,” he said. “That family and that connection that happens here, we’ve already felt it. It is different. Until you get in the middle of it, you don’t really understand it. They’re passionate about their university. They’re passionate about all the things that encompass that. “This is a place that they’re going to provide you the things you need to be successful. Now you’ve just got to go to work and make those things happen.” PHILIP MONTGOMERY BY GREG OSTENDORF AUBURNTIGERS.COM MEET THE COACHES: OFFENSIVE COORDINATORDINE IN // DELIVERY // CURBSIDE // CATERING Opelika 2664 Enterprise Drive, Opelika, AL 36801 GO TIGERS!54 2023 STADIUM MAP 2023 STADIUM MAP AUBURNTIGERS.COM SOUTH CLUB BROADWAY CLUB NORTH CLUB 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 12 14 14 13 151617181920 383940414243 3744 44 45 46 46 36 37 35 35 21 21 22 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 100 99 101 102 103 104 105 106 107 108 109 110 111 112 113 114 AUBURN VISITOR 23 23 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 9 8U 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 20 21 BILL & CONNIE NEVILLE LOBBY 0 EXIT GATE STUDENT GATE STUDENT GATE EAST UPPER DECK ACCESS ONLY SOUTH SERVICE GATE FOOTBALL RECRUITING SOUTH DONAHUE DRIVE HEISMAN DRIVE HD VIDEOBOARD NEVILLE ARENA MIKE & JANE McCARTNEY BRICK PLAZA TICKET OFFICE SALES & PICK-UP GAMEDAY TRANSIT & FANFEST (NS PASS) NORTH STADIUM LOT VISITOR TICKET SALES HARBERT FAMILY RECRUITING CENTER AUBURN PLAYER GUEST EXIT GATEVISITING TEAM LOCKER ROOM SUITE TICKET PICK-UP STUDENT GATE SOUTH NORTH WEST EAST BROADWAY CLUB & MEDIA CREDENTIALS TIGER WALK CLUB ENTRANCE HIGH SCHOOL COACHES 11 10 TIGERWALK TICKET SALES TICKET SALES BROADWAY CLUB ONLY HRC ONLY ADA SHUTTLE PICKUP 1U VISITING PLAYER GUEST & VISITING FAN TICKET PICK-UP ADA SHUTTLE PICKUP NORTH SERVICE GATE OLYMPIC SPORT RECRUITING Entry GateElevator First Aid Tiger Babies LEGEND Charging Station Student Section Seating bowl closed to non-students Team Shop Medical Bag Entry Special Access Statues Guest Services ADA Shuttle56 2023 AUBURN PARKING MAP 2023 AUBURN PARKING MAP AUBURNTIGERS.COM2023 AUBURN PARKING MAP LEGEND 57 2023 AUBURN PARKING LEGEND AUBURNTIGERS.COM© 2022 Textron Specialized Vehicles Inc. 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