In 2008, the City of Columbia was awarded a $400,000 grant aimed at improving the health and fitness of local children. The Healthy Kids, Healthy Communities grant, awarded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, is a national program focused on creating healthier communities through policy advocacy.
The four year grant is be managed by Ian Thomas, Executive Director of The PedNet Coalition. He is joined by Stacia Reilly, Health Educator with the Columbia/Boone County Department of Public Health and Human Services, who serves as project coordinator. They head up a team made up of Community Liaison Minister Samuel Robinson, Legislative Advisor Mayor Darwin Hindman, Policy Advisors Ann Cohen and Mary Hendrickson, and Evaluation Specialist Stephen Sayers. The local partnership calls itself the Health Environment Policy Initiative (HEPI).
The focus of HEPI is to identify successful strategies to create a healthier environment for low-income youth. The goal is to develop and implement system-level strategies that support healthy eating and active living, especially for children at highest risk of obesity, namely low-income and minority children and families. The five target areas in Columbia are: First Ward, Bear Creek, Whitegate, Indian Hills, and Chris Drive. Target schools chosen because of the high percentage of free or reduced lunches include: West Blvd, Parkade, Field, Benton, Derby Ridge, Blue Ridge, and Cedar Ridge.
The HEPI team envisions an environment in which all children and families, especially those in diverse, low-income neighborhoods, will have access to good-quality, nutritious foods close to their homes and a safe environment which supports outdoor play and active transportation.
Grants were also awarded in eight other communities: Baldwin Park, Central Valley and Oakland, CA; Chicago, IL; Louisville, KY; Seattle/King County, WA; Somerville, MA; and Washington.
More details on the HEPI project:
