Community groups promote healthy living throughout the province

Twenty-four community groups and organizations will receive a total of $695,000 to promote the benefits of healthy eating, physical activity, injury prevention and tobacco control through the new Provincial Wellness Grants Program, said Health and Community Services Minister Tom Osborne. The new program is a component of government�s new Provincial Wellness Plan launched in March.

"We recognize that in order for wellness promotion to be effective it has to be present at the community level," said Minister Osborne. "The successful proposals demonstrated solid, community-based initiatives that will move forward our provincial wellness plan and encourage healthy living among Newfoundlanders and Labradorians."

The program aims to encourage and support volunteer, community-based groups and organizations to further promote priority areas of Phase I of the Provincial Wellness Plan. The Wellness Grants Program builds on the existing Community Grants Program of the Regional Wellness Coalitions and allows for the development of larger regional and provincial programs and initiatives which address the wellness priorities.

A total of 141 proposals were received. A team comprising six representatives from the various organizations on the Provincial Wellness Advisory Council made recommendations for grants to the Minister of Health and Community Services based on proposal clarity; understanding of the wellness priorities and best practices; impact on community; regional scope; evaluation plan; and, budget. Funding amounts available ranged from $5,000 to $50,000. The committee included representation from the Alliance for Control of Tobacco, Association of Registered Nurses, and the departments of Health and Community Services, Education, and Tourism, Culture and Recreation.

Minister Osborne added that additional wellness grants will be awarded in the coming year based on new funding allocated in Budget 2006.

Media contact: Tansy Mundon, Communications, (709) 729-1377, 685-1741

Kids Eat Smart Foundation Newfoundland and Labrador, St. John�s
The Kids Eat Smart Foundation will receive $50,000 to support Fruit and Veggies First! The project will ensure that children have access to fruits and vegetables through Kids Eat Smart Clubs throughout the province. Kids Eat Smart Foundation Newfoundland and Labrador is a registered charitable organization that partners with communities throughout the province to establish and support community-based volunteer-run nutrition programs for school children.

Brighter Futures Coalition of St. John�s and District, St. John�s
The Brighter Futures Coalition of St. John�s and District will receive $45,000 for a pilot project, A Model for Development of Health Promotion Nutritional Tools for Rural and Urban NL, to develop a set of tools and approaches to promote nutrition and wellness using an urban and rural model of program delivery through family resource centres. The Brighter Futures Coalition of St. John�s and District is a not-for-profit organization established in 1994 to provide quality programs and services for children from prenatal to six years of age and their families.

Choices for Youth, St. John�s
$45,000 will be awarded for the Youth Outreach and Engagement Program. The project will implement the Model of Youth Outreach and Engagement. High risk youth will be engaged in a series of activities addressing core issues impacting their health and well-being. Choices for Youth is a non-profit community-based agency with a 15-year history of providing housing and healthy lifestyle development supports to youth in the St. John�s metro area.

Mount Pearl Sport Alliance, Mount Pearl
The Mount Pearl Sport Alliance will receive $43,000 for its project, A Collaborative Approach to the Childhood Obesity Fight, to support healthy eating and physical activity. School physical educators and community recreation leaders will develop and implement a cooperative program aimed at increasing physical activity and healthy eating among participating children. The Mount Pearl Sport Alliance is a not-for-profit organization, incorporated in 1995 to provide an advocacy role on behalf of minor sport clubs and associations in the City of Mount Pearl.

Active Living Committee, Gander
The Gander Active Living Committee will receive $40,000 to expand the active schools initiative so that 4,000 K-6 school children in the Central Region will have access to daily physical activity and access to nutritious food at school. The Active Living Committee is a not-for-profit organization, formed in 2003, comprising local physicians, nutritionists, fitness leaders and health promotion professionals whose mandate is to raise the community�s awareness of physical inactivity as a serious health risk and to advocate in this regard.

City of St. John�s, St. John�s
With $40,000 awarded to Active Schools, St. John�s, the City of St. John�s Recreation, in conjunction with the Eastern School District, will expand the incorporation of 20 minutes of physical activity into each school day for three schools (Vanier Elementary, Hazelwood Elementary and Holy Cross Elementary) which were involved in the field test in April 2005. The City of St. John�s Department of Recreation contributes to the physical, emotional and social health of individuals through the provision of quality recreation and leisure services designed for the citizens of St. John�s.

Seniors Wellness Committee, Corner Brook
The Seniors Wellness Committee will receive $40,000 for Steady As You Go � Preventing Falls in Seniors. Participating seniors will benefit from an increased awareness of the risks for falls and be encouraged to make changes in their behaviour and environments. The program will also improve physical activity which will enhance seniors� overall wellness. The Seniors Wellness Committee is a community partnership, guided by seniors, which aims to promote wellness among seniors in Western Newfoundland by addressing identified issues through increased awareness, education and advocacy.

Tramore Production Inc., Cuslett, Placentia Bay
Arts for Health is an innovative project using intergenerational dramatic production to explore the linkages between healthy eating, active living, tobacco control and injury prevention with the determinants of health. Tramore Production Inc. is a not-for-profit arts organization formed in 1999 whose mandate is to preserve and promote the cultural heritage of the area through a series of traditional play, stories, song and dance and archival. The organization will receive $40,000 for this initiative.

Seniors Resource Centre Association of Newfoundland and Labrador, St. John�s
The Seniors Resource Centre will receive $35,000 to organize workshops for existing Healthy Aging Groups in each of the four health regions. The workshops, Improving With Age, will focus on healthy eating, active living and injury prevention. The Seniors Resource Centre Association of Newfoundland and Labrador is a non-profit organization formed in 1989 dedicated to promoting and supporting the independence and well-being of older persons by providing information, education and various programs and services to support healthy aging and wellness.

Community Education Network Association, Stephenville
A Family-Centred Healthy Lifestyle Initiative will promote a family-centred healthy lifestyle through the delivery of variety of programs focusing on healthy eating, active living, tobacco control and injury prevention. $35,000 has been awarded for this project. The Community Education Network is a non-profit community-based agency formed in 1991 whose mission is to create a learning culture through a lifelong learning process which promotes personal enrichment and sustainable communities.

Boys and Girls Clubs of St. John�s
The Boys and Girls Clubs of St. John�s will receive $35,000 for their wellness programs to engage children and their families in the areas of healthy eating, physical activity and healthy lifestyles. The St. John�s Boys and Girls Club is a youth-serving, non-profit organization established in 1946. The mandate of the organization is to provide versatile programs that meet the needs of today�s youth, with approximately 700 children and youth enrolled in programs annually.

Labrador West Young People�s Association, Labrador City
The Labrador West Young People�s Association will receive $35,000 for a pilot project Well Youth: Incentives for Youth Wellness. The project targets high risk youth to engage in activities and skill development related to healthy eating, physical activity, tobacco control and injury prevention. The mandate of the Labrador West Young People�s Association, formed in 1998, is to develop, create, provide and maintain services, which are desired by the youth of Labrador West.

St. Francis Foundation, St. John�s
St. Francis Foundation will receive $35,000 for their Therapeutic Recreation Program

to service at risk children, youth and families through an intramural program, partnering with YMCA for youth to have access to a gym and a nature - adventure camp. The St. Francis Foundation provides a variety of residential and support services for at risk children, youth and families.

Newfoundland and Labrador Parks and Recreation Association, St. John�s
$30,000 has been awarded for a provincial walking campaign, Walk the Walk that supports community recreation leaders and others in motivating Newfoundlanders and Labradorians to walk their way to better health. The Newfoundland and Labrador Parks and Recreation Association, a non-profit organization established in 1971, has a vision of a society that values a clean environment, an active lifestyle for people of all ages, and a commitment to provide recreation for all.

School Milk Foundation of Newfoundland and Labrador, Mount Pearl
The School Milk Foundation will receive $25,000 for a Healthy Lifestyle Campaign for Students in Grades 5-12 to produce healthy eating display units and an interactive CD to promote healthy eating and active living to students. The School Milk Foundation of Newfoundland and Labrador is a non-profit organization formed in 1991 which provides subsidized milk, as well as promotional and education programs to K-12 students in most of the province�s schools.

Shea Heights Development Association, Shea Heights
The Shea Heights Development Association will receive $25,000 to develop Healthy and Active Shea Heights to implement and evaluate programs and activities in the community regarding healthy eating and physical activity. The Shea Heights Development Association is a non-profit organization formed in 2003 to assist, encourage, introduce and support community economic development initiatives, and to facilitate and implement projects that encourage social, health, educational and economical development within the community of Shea Heights and surrounding areas.

Victorian Order of Nurses (VON), St. John�s
The St. John�s VON branch will develop, implement and evaluate an innovative In-Home Exercise Program, which is progressive model of physical activity interventions to reach isolated homebound seniors. $20,000 has been awarded for this program. The VON is a not-for-profit organization that provides health and social community services. The goal of the organization is to promote living and enable individuals to live in comfort and with dignity.

Twillingate-New World Island Primary Health Care Community Advisory Committee
The Twillingate-New World Island Primary Health Care Community Advisory Committee will receive $18,000 for the Food and Fun Camp. The project aims to improve the health of children age eight-10 by implementing a hands-on approach to learning healthy lifestyle behaviours focusing on healthy eating, physical activity and smoking prevention. The Twillingate-New World Island area began its work in primary health care in 1998.

Food Security Network of Newfoundland and Labrador, St. John�s
The Food Security Network will receive $17,000 to initiate the project, Communicating Food Security, to actively promote comprehensive, community based solutions to ensure access to adequate and healthy food for all in the province. The Food Security Network of Newfoundland and Labrador is a membership-based non-profit organization formed in 1998 in response to concerns about growing levels of hunger and poverty throughout the province.

Kids in Safe Seats Inc., St. John�s
The Kids Ride Safe Program will increase the awareness and knowledge regarding child passenger safety in Newfoundland and Labrador and support the training of community members as child passenger safety inspectors. $15,000 has been awarded for the Kids Ride Safe Program. Kids in Safe Seats is a not-for-profit child passenger safety action group, formed in 2000, committed to seeing every motor vehicle passenger under the age of 12, in the correct type of seat, correctly used and installed, every time.

Organization for Community Action Initiatives Inc., Corner Brook
$12,000 has been awarded for the Family Fun With Food program which focuses on education, skill development and food budgeting. The program will attempt to impress on both parent and child the need to have a varied diet and that this is possible, even on a limited budget. The Organization for Community Action Initiatives Inc. is a not-for-profit organization committed to developing and implementing a wide variety of quality programs for children from prenatal to six years of age and their families.

Festival of Flags Inc., Placentia
The Festival of Flags Inc. will receive $5,000 to develop a wellness plan for the Placentia area which targets youth and the senior population. The goal is to advance the wellness priority in the region and engender the creation of a newly vibrant and positive health movement to encourage healthy lifestyles for those who live in the region. The Festival of Flags Inc. is a non-profit organization formed in 1996 to promote and celebrate the quality of life in the region.

The North West River Community Centre will receive $5,000 for the Active Living Program to enhance an existing walking program and promote other active living opportunities in the community. The goal of the project is to provide community members of North West River a form of physical activity that will enhance their quality of life, as well as provide information and materials to individuals on making healthy lifestyle choices.

Bowling Down Barriers, Lewisporte
$5,000 will be awarded to Bowling Down Barriers to enhance recreation opportunities for children and youth with special needs. Bowling Down Barriers is a non-profit organization created by parents of children with special needs which focuses on addressing the social, emotional and physical needs of children/youth with special needs; providing an essential support network and venue for information sharing for parents/care givers of special needs children; and increasing the level of knowledge, awareness and acceptance of individuals with special needs in our future community leaders.

2006 04 13                                  1:05 p.m.