| FOR
RELEASE September 26, 2005
Contact: Scott
Beck
314.345.5512 office
Fifteen Organizations Receive Funding
to Address Obesity in Missouri
ST. LOUIS, MO, September 26 - The Missouri
Foundation for Health (MFH) hopes that its Healthy and Active
Communities initiative will help Missourians to live a healthier
lifestyle. MFH has announced that 15 organizations have been
awarded a total of $3.8 million in grants through the initiative.
The two-year awards will fund programs designed to address
and prevent obesity in children and adults, at schools, homes
and workplaces.
The Healthy & Active Communities initiative targets community-based
organizations with the objective of reaching populations who
are at increased risk of developing obesity, such as women
and children, racial and ethnic groups and low income individuals
or families. Organizations were encouraged to work together
to provide strong, comprehensive programs to assist those
at-risk populations.
"We were looking for organizations that
have the capacity to promote collaboration," said James
R. Kimmey, MD, Foundation President and CEO. "Collaboration
is key to sustaining these programs and services after the
life of the grant has expired."
Obesity is second only to tobacco as the leading
cause of preventable death in the United States, resulting
in more than 300,000 premature deaths nationwide each year.
Research studies show that obesity increases the risk of developing
a number of health conditions including type 2 diabetes, hypertension,
coronary heart disease, stroke, cancer, asthma and osteoarthritis.
National expenditures for overweight and obesity related conditions
have surpassed $78.5 billion, and in the state of Missouri
obesity-attributable medical expenditures were $1.6 billion
in 2000.
MFH is the largest health foundation in Missouri
and the largest non-governmental funder of community health
activities in the state. The Foundation is celebrating the
completion of three years of successful grantmaking during
which $140 million in grants and awards have gone to improve
the health of the people in the communities it serves. For
additional information about MFH, visit www.mffh.org.
The fifteen grant awardees are:
Dunklin County Health Department (Kennett,
63857, 573.717.1158) was awarded $210,776 for the "Get
Active Bootheel" program, to determine the best locations
for walking/hiking trails, farmers markets and community gardens
in Dunklin and Pemiscot counties.
Forest Institute of Professional Psychology
(Springfield, 65807, 417.823.3437) was awarded $290,324 for
its "Vitality, Vim and Vigor for Life" program,
which aims to educate the minority community on physical activity,
nutrition and obesity prevention.
Polk County Health Center (Bolivar, 65613,
(417.326.7250) was awarded $299,900 to expand physical activity,
nutrition education, and policy implementation in a 5-county
area.
Community Partnership of the Ozarks (Springfield,
65806, 417.888.2020) was awarded $216,748 to educate child
care teachers, parents and children about healthy eating and
exercise choices through the implementation of the Parents
as Teachers "High Five for Health" program into
child care facilities.
Douglas County Health Department (Ava,
65608, 417.683.4174) was awarded $286,984 to sponsor community
events, education, and worksite wellness evaluations to promote
nutrition and physical activity.
Columbia/Boone County Health Department
(Columbia, 65205, 573.874.7347) was awarded $273,602 to conduct
a number of model programs addressing physical activity and
nutrition, including a Walking School Bus, Passport to Fitness
and Healthy Start.
YMCA of Callaway County (Fulton, 65251,
573.642.1065) was awarded $163,212 for physical education
and after-school programs that will help youth and families
live healthier lives, along with increasing support for healthier
living in the community through local policy changes.
Whole Kids Outreach (Ellington, 63638,
573.663.3257) was awarded $296,737 to address physical activity,
healthy eating, and lifestyle change for the residents of
Carter, Iron, Reynolds, Shannon, and Wayne counties.
Phelps County Community Partnership (Rolla,
65401, 573.368.2849) was awarded $295,643 to institute a community-wide
comprehensive fitness and nutrition education program.
Springfield Family YMCA (Springfield,
65806, 417.862.7456) was awarded $198,323 to expand the YMCA
Activate America national program, which focuses on exercise,
healthy snacks and educational events, into current local
after school programs.
St. Louis Regional OASIS (St. Louis,
63105, 314.862.4765) was awarded $300,000 to teach mature
adults how to be physically active.
St. Louis County Department of Health (St.
Louis, 63105, 314.615.1675) was awarded $297,092 to implement
its Hip Hop Health program, which provides nutrition and physical
education program to school aged children.
St. Louis SCORES (St. Louis, 63110, 314.610.8835)
was awarded $87,632 for an after school program that provides
organized soccer, regular physical activity and nutrition
education to urban children.
Support a Child International (St. Louis,
63108, 314.454.9294) was awarded $298,116 for its nutrition
and fitness programs, which focus on reaching children through
schools, recreation centers and churches.
University of Missouri - St. Louis (St.
Louis, 63121, 314.771.8294) was awarded $298,966 to implement
a media literacy and advocacy program designed to produce
healthy behavior in students and the community.
# # #
View
other releases.
|
