Northwest Iowa one of nine communities to receive Food and Fitness grant

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April 19, 2009

NORTHEAST IOWA – It was announced today that the Northeast Iowa Food and Fitness Initiative received a grant of $500,000 from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation to help communities embrace active living and healthy eating. Allamakee, Clayton, Fayette, Howard, and Winneshiek County are included in the Initiative.

The Northeast Iowa Food and Fitness Initiative, co-led by Northeast Iowa Resource Conservation and Development Inc. and Iowa State Extension, is one of nine projects nationwide selected as pilot sites by Kellogg. Each will work for two years to create a community action plan to create community environments that support healthy children, youth, and families by making available and promoting the procurement and
consumption of local healthy food and by creating space and structure for physical activity and play.

“The Northeast Iowa Local Food and Fitness Initiative was chosen to join us in this effort because of its passionate leadership, commitment to the community, and for the inroads it has already made in organizing around the issue of healthy communities,” says Linda Jo Doctor, Kellogg Foundation program director in Health.

“We know that people across America are concerned about the physical well-being of their children and families,” said Gail Imig, Kellogg Foundation program director in Food Systems. “The people of Northeast Iowa are taking action. We hope our support will enable them to create more energy, interest, ideas, and involvement. Northeast Iowa will be part of a nationwide network of communities that will not only inspire one
another, but also ignite and energize other communities across the country.”

During the two-year planning process the Northeast Iowa Food and Fitness Initiative will have the opportunity to map out how to address issues such as increasing the availability of healthy local foods in school, restaurants and grocery stores, improving opportunities for residents to incorporate physical activity into their everyday lives, strengthening the publics understanding of the economic, health and environmental benefits of leading healthier lifestyles, and helping local, state and federal legislators understand how policy impacts health in rural America.

“We are facing a super-sized health crisis in this country. Too many Americans are overweight or suffer from obesity, which can lead to serious chronic health conditions like heart disease and diabetes. Programs like the Northeast Iowa Food and Fitness Initiative are crucial to turning America’s obesity epidemic around and giving people the tools they need to live longer, healthier lives,” said U.S. Senator Tom Harkin.

“It is inspiring to see hundreds of community members and organizations from a five county area of Northeast Iowa joining together to develop a regional plan for how to make Northeast Iowa one of the healthiest communities in the nation.,” said Lora Friest, USDA/NRCS RC&D Coordinator for Northeast Iowa RC&D and Initiative co-leader.

“The participation to date shows great momentum and promise for the Northeast Iowa Food and Fitness Initiative,” said Brenda Ranum, County Extension Director for Iowa State University Extension in Winneshiek County and Initiative co-leader. “It’s exciting to bring together key players from the local food system, the health community, and those involved with infrastructure to create a vision for healthier living.”

Iowa Representative Roger Thomas, who has attended some of the Northeast Iowa Food and Fitness planning meetings noted, “This locally led healthy food and nutrition program will truly be a benefit to our residents. I’m excited about what will be the long reaching affects of this initiative that is working across political, social and economic boundaries.”

The project has already begun with county planning meetings in each of the five counties. Project organizers are also working to develop a kick off celebration event that will occur in May.

Other grantees include a variety of rural and urban communities: Boston, Massachusetts; Detroit, Michigan; Holyoke, Massachusetts; New York, New York; Oakland, California; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Seattle, Washington; and Sells, Arizona (specifically, the Tohono O’odham Native American reservation). During the two-year planning process, communities will receive support and technical assistance for communication, policy, and evaluation. Each of the communities will then be eligible for potential implementation funding for up to eight years. 

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This page was found at http://www.leopold.iastate.edu/news/07-27-2010/northwest-iowa-one-nine-communities-receive-food-and-fitness-grant on 01/21/2013