Preventing Childhood Obesity Community Grants
We are thrilled to announce the recipients of the 2013 Children’s Hospital & Medical Center Preventing Childhood Obesity Community Grants. We received 31 applications from 28 organizations requesting $547,992.78.
There is important, life-transforming work to do in the greater Omaha area, and we are proud to partner with these organizations in the fight!
2013 Recipients
Council Bluffs Community School District - $19,820
Initiative: Healthy Children, Healthy Learners
The Healthy Children, Healthy Learners program will expand an existing nutrition education program and initiate a new health and fitness assessment and activity program in four elementary schools that are not currently served.
Familias En Accion - $20,000
Initiative: Families in Action
Families in Action is a multi-faced program that impacts the health and well-being of Latino youth and families living in South Omaha. The program provides fitness, nutrition and cooking classes and mobile health screenings, while regularly measuring participants’ health data.
Girls Incorporated of Omaha - $20,000
Initiative: Farm to Table
This program will teach girls about the nutritional content of food through cooking classes, while they also help plant, maintain and harvest outdoor vegetable gardens. Meanwhile, the organization will revamp its own cafeteria menu, eliminating sugary beverages and serving more fruits and vegetables.
Gretchen Swanson Center for Nutrition - $19,995
Initiative: Omaha Nutrition Education Collaborative (ONEC)
The ONEC will develop at least five instructional online videos to help early care and education providers incorporate effective nutrition learning experiences for children. ONEC will disseminate the videos to staff at the Educare Center of Omaha facilities and to the early care and education community at large.
Omaha Salvation Army Kroc Center - $20,000
Initiative: Membership, FITNESSGRAM testing and “Weight, No More”
The grant will subsidize Kroc Center memberships for program participants, fund the purchase and use of FITNESSGRAM testing technology and launch a new series of fun physical fitness classes called “Weight, No More!”
Engaging the Community to Fight an Epidemic
Did you know that childhood obesity is the number one health concern of parents in the greater Omaha metro? It’s true, according to the 2012 Community Health Needs Assessment, co-sponsored by Children’s Hospital & Medical Center. Childhood obesity is a health crisis on the national level, as well, affecting 17 percent of children and teens in the United States. Obese children are more likely to have high blood pressure, high cholesterol, heart disease and Type 2 diabetes.
Children’s Hospital & Medical Center is committed to preventing childhood obesity through proactive programs focused on education. Children’s dedication stems from its mission—“so that all children may have a better chance to live”—and its responsiveness to the health concerns of Heartland families. The organization is uniquely positioned in the area to be an effective leader for change on this critical issue. By providing leadership and support to the community, we hope to achieve our vision: eliminate childhood obesity.
However, we know we can’t realize this vision on our own. We understand “it takes a village” to tackle such a dangerous trend. That’s why Children’s has created Preventing Childhood Obesity Community Grants. This program intends to harness the strengths of community partners and engage them in the fight against an epidemic. There are grants available valued up to $20,000.
The Omaha area is fortunate to have many organizations devoted to the health and well-being of children. Some specialize in education or serving at-risk populations; others excel at promoting physical activity. Through this new grant program, non-profit groups are encouraged to submit a creative and collaborative proposal explaining how they will team up with Children’s to prevent childhood obesity and touch as many young lives as possible. The approach is grassroots, strategic and all about teamwork. Together, we can make a difference.
Thank you to all who submitted grant applications this year!
Grant Applications for this year closed on Friday, March 22, 2013.
Click here to view the Preventing Childhood Obesity Community Grants brochure.
Questions? Please call 402.955.6950.
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