FO R IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 15, 2021
City of Kingston
Awarded $1.525M “Creating Healthy Schools & Communities” Grant
KINGSTON, NY – Mayor Steven T. Noble is pleased to announce that the City of Kingston was
awarded the Creating Healthy Schools and Communities grant for $1,525,000 from
the NY State Department of Health, Division of Chronic Disease Prevention.
The grant, which will span
five years, will help to increase opportunities for physical activity and
nutrition in schools and the community by engaging with trusted partners in
child care and education -- Family of Woodstock, and Cornell Cooperative Extension
of Ulster County.
Daily physical activity and
good nutrition early in life supports healthy growth and brain development and
can protect against chronic diseases and conditions throughout life. Studies have shown
that many children from underserved households do not
have the access to the opportunities needed to meet recommended national
guidelines for physical activity and healthy food. The Creating Healthy Schools
and Communities grant aims to support and help implement policy and systems
change to provide equitable access for all children in our community.
“This grant will help the City
of Kingston further its goal of supporting the social determinants of health --
access to everything
needed for healthy living. We have to make sure that
every child is given opportunities to succeed, and that starts with their
nutrition and movement,” said Mayor Noble. “This initiative dovetails with the
priorities of our Live Well Kingston Commission and its teams focused on
healthy eating, active transportation, healing, aging, gardens and agriculture,
and access to parks and play.”
Family of Woodstock, which
currently has oversight of local early childcare centers, will review each
centers’ physical activity and nutrition policies and will provide suggestions and
trainings to enhance these efforts. Cornell
Cooperative Extension of Ulster County, which has led multiple health programs
in the School District, will support and establish health and wellness
committees in the elementary schools. The committees’ efforts will create more
opportunities for children to get the appropriate physical activity and
nutrition needed to thrive.
The City’s Health &
Wellness Department will be implementing food service guidelines in community
spaces to increase the accessibility of healthy foods. Locations may include
People’s Place’s new Wellness Empowerment Center, concessions at Dietz Stadium
and vending machines throughout the City. The Health & Wellness Department
will continue to support and encourage walking and bicycling and will hire a
Project Manager to oversee the facilitation of the grant, and to help
incorporate infrastructure such as signage, streetscape items, trail markers
and other amenities that support and enhance active transportation.
“We are thankful to the State
Department of Health for this five-year grant that will allow us to dive deeply
into the work to increase physical activity and nutrition for our residents and
workers,” said Emily Flynn, City of Kingston Director of Health and Wellness.
“Special thanks to Family of Woodstock, Cornell Cooperative, the Kingston City
School District, People’s Place, and our future partners for the opportunity to
work on systems change together. Our goal is to make the healthy choice the
easy choice in Kingston.”