RICHMOND —
The Telford YMCA has received $64,000 grant to bring more physical activity into local schools, promote nutrition and encourage policy changes to create a healthier community.
The grant from Pioneering Healthier Communities (PHC) is designed to empower community leaders with ways to ensure healthy eating and physical activity options are available to Madison Countians. It was funded by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Telford was one of 10 YMCAs were selected from 600 applicants, said Steven Bailey, senior program director for the Telford YMCA.
The idea behind the Healthier Communities Initiatives is to bring together community leaders from several sectors “... to discuss how we can create a community that is focused on healthy living and social responsibility,” Bailey said.
The funds are going to be used to make a larger impact on the community as a whole, not just those who are members of the Telford YMCA.
“The Y has found that programs are a great thing, but programs only reach either individuals or small groups of people,” he said. “We will create sustainable change through policy changes. It has nothing to do with programming at the Y. It’s a true community collaborative effort. But what it does do is bring the Y back to its roots and origin, doing things through leadership. We want to become that leader in the community that gets people together to create a change in our environment to make our community healthy.”
An example of this would be working to implement governmental policies, or ordinances, that require sidewalks be build alongside all new roads, Bailey said.
“This creates a safer environment, and the sidewalk promotes activity,” he said.
The state already is part of the Pioneering Healthier Communities initiative.
“Beginning possibly in 2012, the school systems are going to begin tracking students’ BMI (body mass index) every year through fifth grade, then once in middle school and once in high school,” he said. “That’s a policy, and that’s what PHC can do.”
Several community members gathered at a December breakfast meeting to discuss how the PHC initiative could be implemented.
Those in attendance included Todd Jones, CEO of Pattie A. Clay Regional Medical Center, Sen. Jared Carpenter, local businessman Jerry Goble, Richmond City Commissioner Richard Thomas, local attorney Jerry Gilbert, Madison County Superintendent Tommy Floyd and other community leaders.
Some who attended the meeting will travel to Washington D.C. March 7-9 where workshops will be conducted to get a better understanding of what PHC is about.
“This is a three-year process and it’s going to take a total community effort,” Bailey said. “We ultimately want to get everybody together to make a change.”
The group will be undergoing training about empathy, data, community leadership teams and policy changes.
“When we come back, we hopefully plan to talk about what the next steps are,” he said. “This is just touching the outer surface of what this seed money can do if we all come together.”
The grant money will be used partially for travel expenses, but the majority of the funding will be used on a community action plan.
When it comes to money spent in the action plan, “ The community will decide how the money is spent,” Bailey said. “It will not be the YMCA.”
The Telford YMCA is dedicated to strengthening the community, according to CEO Debi White.
“Participating in PHC will help our families, friends and neighbors live their lives to the fullest potential,” White said. “We are honored to be selected to be part of the growing movement of communities who are leading healthy change through policy strategies.”
Examples of PHC initiatives include bringing farmers markets with fresh fruits and vegetables to neighborhoods where healthy food options are scarce; making streets safe for pedestrians and cyclists through “complete streets” plans; creating safer routes to school; and keeping children healthier by working with schools to increase physical education and physical activity during the school day.
Visit www.ymca.net/healthier-communities/ for more information about Telford YMCA’s Healthier Communities Initiative.
Ronica Shannon can be reached at rshannon@richmondregister.com or 624-6608.
Local News
Related Photos
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White Hall Elementary kindergartners, including Will Hardin, right, and Zachary Stout, compete in a tug of war match with another kindergarten class as part of field day activities in this 2010 file photo. The Telford YMCA has received a grant to bring more physical activity into local schools, promote nutrition and encourage policy changes to create a healthier community. Photo By Nancy Taggart/photo@richmondregister.com
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The Pioneering Healthier Communities grant will help the Telford YMCA promote options for healthier living including such things as farmer's markets like this one at Eastern Kentucky University last July where Roger Hurt of Kirksville sold home-grown tomatoes. Photo By Nancy Taggart/photo@richmondregister.com
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Hannah Thornton, left, and Jacquelyn Wadsworth, then second-graders at Bluegrass Christian School, compete in the 3-legged-race at Lake Reba during the school's field day last May. The Pioneering Healthier Communities grant will help the Telford YMCA promote healthier living including promoting more physical activity in schools. Photo By Nancy Taggart/photo@richmondregister.com
YMCA gets $64K grant to promote 'healthier' community
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