Oskaloosa receives Healthy Hometown Founder award
Members from the Mahaska Wellness Coalition are representing Oskaloosa as the community receives one of 16 Healthy Hometown Founder Awards. Shown, from left, are: Amy Meyer, Gov. Terry Branstad, Lt. Gov. Kim Reynolds, Ann Smith, Lea Rice and Stephanie Faulkes.
Healthiest State Initiative recognizes community efforts to improve health and well-being
DES MOINES, IA — Oskaloosa was presented a Healthy HometownSM POWERED BY Wellmark award at the Iowa Healthiest State Initiative Bringing it Home conference on Nov.1. The award recognizes Oskaloosa for their dedication and accomplishments toward meaningful health improvement initiatives in their community.
“The Healthy Hometown Founder award celebrates the achievements made in Oskaloosa,” said Jami Haberl, Iowa Healthiest State Initiative executive director. “Oskaloosa has been a model for other Iowa communities and is an encouraging example of what can be done when the citizens of a community join together to truly transform their environment.”
Some noteworthy achievements in Oskaloosa include:
· 23 plots were added to Oskaloosa’s community gardens for a total of 39 plots
· More than 550 citizens attended healthy cooking classes, far exceeding the goal of 250
· Oskaloosa Elementary School added 20 hours of nutritional education per school year and implemented a healthy rewards policy.
· Produce sales have increased by nearly 30 percent at a local grocery store since 2014
Healthy Hometown program available for all Iowa communities
The Healthy Hometown program is available to all Iowa communities ready to take steps to make the healthy choice the easy choice and improve the overall well-being of their communities.
“One of the best parts of the Healthy Hometown program is the ability for Iowa communities to make improvements that are important to them,” said Laura Jackson, Iowa Healthiest State Initiative board president. “The program offers various levels of support — including assistance from experts if they choose — and guides them to existing resources so they can make their hometown an even better place to live.”
“A healthy community is so much more than what you eat or how much you exercise,” said Mahaska Health Partnership Community Wellness Coordinator Ann Smith. “It includes pride in your community, mental health, social health and family ties. Being able to safely commute around your town and providing opportunities to gather and volunteer, giving back to your community. We focus on the whole instead of just certain aspects of people’s lives.”
There are three ways communities or organizations can get started. The first is an online self-assessment tool for communities to review where they are at today and how they can connect with existing resources to make enhancements. In 2017, two additional options will be available to help communities put a plan in place for either a specific project or a complete community transformation.
More information about the Healthy Hometown program, including the assessment and resources, is available at: www.iowahealthieststate.com. For more information about Mahaska Wellness Coalition, check out their Facebook page or contact Smith at 641.672.3106.
