In 2009, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) awarded Partners for Active Living and the Hub City Farmers’ Market a Healthy Kids, Healthy Communities grant to combat the rising trend of childhood obesity in four Spartanburg County areas—Pacolet, Woodruff, Boiling Springs, and the Cleveland Park area of the City of Spartanburg. The grant program responds to the 30-year trend of ever-rising rates of childhood obesity despite efforts to encourage healthier living.
The Healthy Kids Healthy Communities program aims to make those policy and environmental changes that will allow for a safer environment for active living, and improved access to healthy foods. Environmental changes include improving safety around existing play areas like parks by reducing speed limits, adding crosswalks and pedestrian signals, and improving sidewalk and bike lane conditions. Policy changes such as Complete Streets policies will ensure that transportation planners design roadways to include pedestrian and bicycle accommodations which make streets safer for users of all abilities. Other changes include bringing farmers’ markets to these target areas, encouraging healthier food policies by day-care and after-school care providers, and encouraging active living through Walk and Bike to School Days, improved bicycle parking, and pedestrian and bicycle safety workshops for drivers, riders, and walkers.
A grant from the Mary Black Foundation allowed our partnership to develop a mobile produce market and bicycle lending program.
