For Immediate Release
15 February 2019
Institute for Public Health Innovation Announces 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 (IPHI) 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 ten communities will receive funding through a competitive application process that will open on February 15, 2019.
The HEAL Cities & Towns Small Grants Program will support local governments to implement policies that increase opportunities for healthy eating and active living in the community or government workplace. Implementation grants between $1,000-$10,000 will be awarded to current HEAL Campaign members. 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 nine months to complete grant-funded activities. All supported efforts must directly impact incorporated cities, towns, or counties in Maryland or Virginia.
“We are thrilled to support local governments to move beyond policy adoption to implementation,” said Mid-Atlantic Campaign director, Sydney Daigle. “We know that policy change is necessary to combat chronic disease, but that is just the first step. The goal of this grant program is to support cities, towns, and counties to implement the HEAL policies that they’ve adopted so they can be successful in their efforts to create healthier community environments.”
The full Request for Proposals is available at: www.healcitiesmidatlantic.org/grants. Funding is provided by HEAL Cities and Towns Campaign founding partner, Kaiser Permanente of the Mid-Atlantic States. “Kaiser Permanente is committed to improving the conditions that shape health for our members and the communities we serve, and we know that access to healthy, fresh foods and places for physical activity has a positive impact on health,” said Celeste James, Executive Director of Community Health, Kaiser Permanente. “We work with a range of partners to champion good health and to advance creative solutions, and we are pleased to support municipalities across the region in improving policies and practices that support health.”
Applications are due to Sydney Daigle (Sdaigle@old.institutephi.org) on or before March 15, 2019.
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:
Sydney Daigle
Program Manager
Institute for Public Health Innovation
(240) 253-1036
