FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
YMCA Conference Sparks Healthy Change in Communities Nationwidee
Pioneering Healthier Communities Conference brings together community leaders committed to transforming environments and creating healthier communities
WASHINGTON, December 5, 2007—Teams of leaders from 18 communities across the nation are gathering in Washington, D.C., this week to learn innovative strategies to make their communities healthier places to live. Representing the government, nonprofit, health care, transportation and business sectors, the teams are participating in the fourth annual Pioneering Healthier Communities Conference, Dec. 5-7. YMCA of the USA, the resource office for the nation’s 2,663 YMCAs, is convening the conference.
The Pioneering Healthier Communities initiative (PHC), which launched in 2004, drives policy, new programming, structural and environmental change in communities to promote healthy lifestyles. Each year since 2004, YMCA of the USA has selected a new group of communities to take on the task of transforming their hometowns into healthier environments. PHC is rooted in the principle that a multi-faceted, community-based approach that includes policy strategies is needed to create sustainable and lasting change. PHC is part of Activate America®, the YMCA’s response to the nation’s growing health crisis.
“As we enter our fourth year of Pioneering Healthier Communities, we are able to say that our strategy of bringing together high-level leaders to drive meaningful change in their communities is producing results,” said Neil Nicoll, president and chief executive officer, YMCA of the USA. “Many of the communities that are currently involved in this work have seen positive outcomes as a result of their teams’ efforts. We know that the nationwide effects of inactivity and unhealthy eating cannot be solved overnight, but through our experience we also know that when community leaders commit to using their collective power and resources, residents in those communities enjoy benefits that can lead to better health."
The 18 communities added this year bring the total to 64. Each community team received a grant from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for its team members to travel to the nation's capital for the conference, and next fall each team will be eligible to receive a one-time grant to assist in the implementation of activities identified by the team.
“CDC is a proud supporter and partner of Pioneering Healthier Communities and commends the YMCA for its creativity and leadership in promoting health and wellness nationwide,” said Janet Collins, Ph.D., Director of the National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion at the CDC. “The YMCA is uniquely positioned to promote health both within its walls and beyond to the thousands of communities in which it resides.”
PHC teams that have already begun the process have implemented changes, created programs and advocated for policies that remove barriers and provide opportunities for healthier living. These include: reinstating physical education in schools, changing school vending and snack policies, improving city-wide trail systems and bike paths, creating local walking clubs, planting community gardens, starting or enhancing farmers' markets and working with mobile food pantries.
At this year's conference, teams will hear from experts and learn about community-based approaches to health and well-being. Experts include: Mark Fenton, contributing editor of Health magazine and PBS series host; Rosemarie Henson, deputy director, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; John O’Brien, president and chief executive officer, UMass Memorial Health Care, Inc.; Jeffery Levi, Ph.D., executive director, Trust for America's Health; Roberto Salazar, administrator, Food and Nutrition Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture; Ken Thorpe, Ph.D., executive director, Partnership to Fight Chronic Disease; and Tyler Norris, founder, Community Initiatives, Inc., chair, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s Active Living by Design, and executive director, Abraham Path Initiative.
Leadership teams for the following communities are attending this year's PHC conference: Ann Arbor, Mich.; Asheville Area, N.C.; Battle Creek, Mich.; Chesterfield/Darlington/Hartsville, S.C.; Colorado Springs, Colo.; Fargo, N.D. and Moorhead, Minn.; Itasca County, Minn.; La Crosse, Wis.; Longmont, Colo.; Marysville, Wash.; New York, N.Y.; Hockomock Region, Mass.; Omaha, Neb.; Providence, R.I.; Rockford, Ill.; San Francisco, Calif.; Spokane, Wash.; and Woodbridge, N.J.
Pioneering Healthier Communities is supported by a cooperative agreement from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (U58/CCU325027). Additional programmatic support for the conference was provided by PepsiCo Foundation, the National Presenting Sponsor of the conference.
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About Pioneering Healthier Communities
Pioneering Healthier Communities is a part of Activate America, the YMCA's bold approach to address the nation’s growing health crisis. PHC was developed with expert advice and assistance from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s Active Living by Design. Their input is helping to build an infrastructure for replicating model programs and approaches to develop healthy communities nationwide. PepsiCo Foundation is the National Presenting Sponsor of this year’s conference.
About YMCA of the USA
The nation’s 2,663 YMCAs, which serve nearly 20.2 million people each year, including 9.4 million children under the age of 18. Through a variety of programs and services focused on the holistic development of children and youth, health and well-being for all and family strengthening, YMCAs unite men, women and children of all ages, faiths, backgrounds, abilities and income levels. From urban areas to small towns, YMCAs have proudly served America’s communities for nearly 160 years by building healthy spirit, mind and body for all. Visit www.ymca.net to find your local YMCA.
About PepsiCo Foundation
PepsiCo Foundation’s mission in Health and Wellness is to advance the knowledge of how to encourage healthy lifestyles and effect positive behavior change, with a focus on three areas: Community Activation, Minority Communities and Health Professionals. Also, the Foundation supports programs and organizations that encourage young people to be physically active and that educate them about the value of healthy eating and a balanced diet. PepsiCo Foundation, along with PepsiCo’s operating divisions, gives grants to more than 1,000 community organizations. PepsiCo Foundation believes strongly in the positive impacts of community-based interventions and solutions. This commitment is demonstrated in its continued support of Pioneering Healthier Communities, the spread of the Children in Balance Shape Up model along with the newly launched international program, Community Interventions for Health rolling out in China, Mexico, India and the United Kingdom. PepsiCo Foundation has generously sponsored the Pioneering Healthier Communities Conference in 2005, 2006 and now in 2007.
Contact:
Kelly Kennai Grunig
YMCA of the USA
202-835-9043 ext. 15
kelly.kennai@ymca.net