by 
Share On Social!
Public Health officials in Grand Rapids, MI, (15% Latino) are working to connect two parks by way of a new walking path, thanks to support from a $13,900 active living grant it recently received from the Michigan Department of Community Health.
The trail project is just one component of the team’s plan for chronic disease prevention among the population. The idea is to encourage trail usage in an area of the city where much of the population is comprised of high risk Hispanics and African Americans.
“What we are basically doing is trying to connect Roosevelt Park and Garfield Park in terms of providing a walking path,” said Jill Myer, the supervisor of the health department’s obesity initiative, in an Mlive news article . “The goal is to provide some safe walking paths and biking trails within these two neighborhood areas.”
According to Nick Lyon, the director of the Michigan Department of Community Health (MDCH) having safe and convenient places to walk is crucial to encouraging healthy behaviors and lifestyles.
In order to promote use of the trail, as an incentive, the Kent County Health Department will place trail markers along a walking path that will connect the two parks. They will also hide “golden sneakers,” along the path for trail users to find. Those who locate the shoes will be eligible to win a free pair of sneakers.
The health department also plans to work with two health clinics: The Browning Claytor Health Center and Clinica Santa Maria, to get more patients walking by way of walking prescriptions.
Other organizations that received active living grants from the MDCH include:
• Allegiance Prevention and Community Health, in the City of Jackson;
• District Health Department #2, in Ogemaw County;
• Chippewa County Health Department, in Chippewa County;
• Hannahville Indian Community, in the Upper Peninsula; and
• Michigan Recreation and Park Association, with parks in Genesee, Muskegon, Berrien, Wayne and Tuscola Counties.
With the help of this active living grant and a 3 year, $2.18 million grant the county recently received from the CDC’s Racial and Ethnic Approaches to Community Health (REACH) initiative, Kent county will surely be seeing some healthy changes, throughout the community.
The overall goal of the REACH grant is to build healthy communities in “Hope Zone” neighborhoods by increasing opportunities for physical activity, access to healthier foods, and by creating smoke-free environments.
Read the full article here.
By The Numbers
33
percent
of Latinos live within walking distance (<1 mile) of a park
