For Immediate Release Monday, May 4, 2015
Institute for Public Health Innovation Launches HEAL Cities & Towns Campaign Grants Program with $40,000 Available in Funding
Washington, DC – Through its HEAL Cities & Towns Campaign, the Institute for Public Health Innovation is offering a total of $40,000 to local governments in Maryland and Virginia to implement policies that promote access to nutritious foods and opportunities for physical activity. Up to twelve communities will receive funding through a competitive application process that opened on May 4, 2015.
The HEAL Cities & Towns Small Grants Program will support local governments to implement policies that increase opportunities for healthy eating and/or active living in the community and/or government workplace. Two types of grants will be made: Kick-Off grants in the amount of up to $500 will be awarded to 6 communities and Implementation grants in amounts of $5,000-$9,000 will be awarded to 4-6 communities. These grants support the HEAL Cities & Towns Campaign’s goal to support local leaders’ efforts to create communities where residents and employees can eat better and move more. These grants are intended to provide resources for cities and towns to implement an adopted HEAL policy in their community and increase access to nutritious food choices and/or opportunities for physical activity. Grant recipients will have approximately six months to complete the grant-funded project. All activities must take place in or directly impact incorporated cities, towns, or counties in Maryland and/or Virginia.
The full Request for Proposals is available at: www.healcitiesmidatlantic.org/grants. Funding is provided by the Campaign sponsor, Kaiser Permanente for the Mid-Atlantic States.
“We are thrilled to support local governments to move beyond policy adoption to implementation,” said Mid-Atlantic Campaign director, Marisa Jones. “We know that policy change is necessary to combat chronic disease, but if we don’t work with localities to implement the HEAL policies they’ve adopted, we haven’t actually increased access to nutritious foods or physical activity. The goal of this grant program is to provide funding to cities, towns, and counties to implement the HEAL policies that they’ve adopted and actually change the environments to support healthy choices.”
Applications are due to Kate McGrail ([email protected]) on June 25, 2015.
About the HEAL Cities & Towns Campaign
The Healthy Eating Active Living (HEAL) Cities & Towns Campaign is an initiative to support local elected officials and their staff to create communities where all residents can make healthy choices about physical activity and nutrition. Since 2012, the Institute for Public Health Innovation has partnered with the Maryland Municipal League, the Virginia Municipal League, and Kaiser Permanente of the Mid-Atlantic States to provide technical assistance and training to local governments to adopt policies that improve their communities’ nutrition and physical activity environments.
For more information about the HEAL Cities & Towns Campaign, please visit www.healcitiesmidatlantic.org
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For more information, contact:
Marisa Jones, Program Manager
Institute for Public Health Innovation
(202) 803-6121