Columbia Receives a $400,000 Grant to Improve Health
The City of Columbia was recently 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 announcement was made on December 2, 2008 at a special event hosted by The YouZeum. More than 100 elementary school children, community leaders, and PedNet coalition members were on hand to celebrate. Main Squeeze Natural Foods Café provided a healthy, locally produced breakfast, all delivered by bike, and various speakers talked about what a great opportunity this is for Columbia.
The four year grant will be managed by Ian Thomas, Executive Director of The PedNet Coalition. He will be joined by Stacia Reilly, who will serve as project coordinator, and they will head 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 Healthy Kids, Healthy Communities grant 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 travel.
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 DC.
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