Health Department Grants Create Healthier Communities

Improve nutrition: Increase physical activity: Drug and alcohol prevention

For Immediate Release: June 3, 2011

Media Contact: Communication Office

Vermont Department of Health

802-863-7281

 

BURLINGTON – The Ottauquechee Community Partnership (OCP) is partnering with the Barnard General Store and the Vermont Department of Health on a project that will increase access to local produce and healthy food options, and put tobacco products out of view of youngsters.

A total of 16 Vermont communities will work to coordinate and enhance their health improvement efforts throughout 2012, including physical activity and healthy eating, and drug and alcohol prevention, with nearly $750,000 in Community-Based Prevention Grants awarded in May by the Health Department.

OCP has noticed that the abundance of produce at local farmer’s markets has been slow to work its way into stores, schools and restaurants because of concerns with distribution and cost.  As part of an overall effort to reduce obesity levels throughout the community, a Local Healthy Food Initiative was organized and launched in April.

“There is clear evidence that overall community health increases when healthy food is more readily available,” said Jackie Fischer, executive director of OCP.  “When you go into a store, or get lunch at school, or go out to eat at a restaurant, the healthy choice should be the easy choice.”

OCP was awarded $63,014 by the Health Department for Fiscal Year 2012.

The Lamoille Valley Fit & Healthy Council and Lamoille Prevention Campaign was awarded a $70,000 grant award for community-based prevention efforts that will bring together 10 towns around the county to create an overall wellness plan. A combined effort to increase physical activity, review ways to build more safe routes to schools, improve school nutrition, develop a farm-to-school program, prevent underage drinking, and reduce binge drinking will be led by the Lamoille Prevention Campaign.

The grants are funded by three programs, Vermont’s Coordinated Healthy Activity, Motivation & Prevention Programs (CHAMPPS) grants, federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Health Infrastructure Funding, and a federal Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment Block Grant from the Department of Health and Human Services.

 

For more information on community-based prevention grants and a full list of the recipients statewide, visit the Health Department’s website at healthvermont.gov.

 

Follow us on Twitter and join us on Facebook for health information and alerts.

###

Return to Top