The Endeavor Foundation awarded more than $420,000 to a dozen organizations in Northwest Arkansas to increase access to healthy food and physical activity.
Jill Kaplan, strategy and communications vice president for the foundation, said the group announced its funding commitment at the EnergizeNWA Summit in January. During the summit, more than 200 area leaders developed goals for healthy eating and active living.
“This really is a community initiative,” Kaplan said. “Arkansas is the seventh most obese and eighth most unhealthy state. Initiatives like this are important because our people need to be healthy and active, whether it involves offering healthy food for kids in schools or improving access to neighborhood markets.”
The Endeavor Foundation is a community foundation serving Benton, Carroll, Madison and Washington counties.
Kaplan said the EnergizeNWA grant includes support from Care Foundation, Energize NWA Strategic Focus Fund and the Convergence Partnership.
Paxton Roberts, executive director for the Bicycle Coalition of the Ozarks, said the organization plans to increase alternate transportation routes.
Roberts said the percentage of children walking or biking to school decreased from 50 percent in 1969 to 13 percent in 2009.
“We plan to host 15 meetings with school districts in Benton and Washington counties,” he said. “During those meetings, we’ll gather input from school administration, parents and teachers about safe routes to school. We’ll work with local communities to identify barriers for walking and biking to school.”
Rob Smith, communications and policy specialist for the Northwest Arkansas Council, said money from the Endeavor Foundation will go to strengthening the regional food system.
“It’s part of a bigger project to help people understand where their food is grown, how it gets to market, how it’s packaged and who consumes it,” he said. “The goal is to increase production and consumption of local foods.”
Other grants include money f0r the Cooking Matters course by the Community Clinic and the Boys & Girls Club of Benton County. Developed by the national organization Share Our Strength and hosted by the Arkansas Hunger Relief Alliance, Cooking Matters teaches participants how to buy and cook healthy food on a budget.
“If you come from another culture, you might not realize that three of the four things on your plate are high in carbohydrates,” said Cathy Grisham, director of the Community Clinic. “This program teaches people to make better choices through education incentives.”
Kaplan said the grant for Bridges to Wellness in Siloam Springs will involve the Hispanic community, which represents about 20 percent of the city’s population. The organization plans to develop culturally appropriate programs, such as cooking classes that use traditional ingredients to improve health.
Kaplan said the Endeavor Foundation plans to monitor the progress of the grant-funded programs over the next year.
“We’ll likely do another round of grants next year because we want to continue to support this effort,” she said.