5 Healthy Towns
by Matt Pegouskie
On August 26, the 5 Healthy Towns Foundation’s Board of Directors approved the 8th Comprehensive Wellness Plan submitted by the Stockbridge Area Wellness Coalition (SAWC) and presented by SAWC board members Emily Stewart and Mark Taylor. The Wellness Plans are constructed by SAWC’s members to meet wellness issues throughout the Stockbridge school district geographic region. These needs are determined through the review of different health data sources specific to Stockbridge and the input of the Stockbridge community.
“The support given by the 5 Healthy Towns Foundation to Stockbridge over the past 8 years has been phenomenal. Each year we are challenged to help improve the health and wellness of our community, guided by their expertise and encouragement. We are again grateful for their faith in us, as shown by their approval of our grant application’s request of $75,000.” Jo Mayer, SAWC Board Chair.
The approved plan includes seven repeat interventions/projects and three new ones:
- Engineering Drawings/Plan – Funds to be used to contract with an engineering firm to develop engineering blueprints that will help further plans for the establishment of a Stockbridge Community Recreation and Education Park on land currently owned by Stockbridge Community Schools, located across from the Jr/Sr high school, adjacent to Beckwith Preserve. Preliminary design drawings for this park were created two years ago as part of a previous comprehensive wellness plan. The hope is to use the engineering drawings in a grant application to MDNR.
- Community Cooking Classes – Building on the foundation of the Cooking Matters curriculum, Stockbridge Community Outreach, with Jackie Scheller as instructor, will offer 2 fall workshops and 2 spring workshops focusing on hands-on meal preparation to teach new skills related to food purchasing, recipe modification, budgeting, and building lifelong healthy eating habits.
- Huron Waterloo Pathways Initiative Trail Match – Ingham County Parks and Recreation and the Ingham County Board of Commissioners awarded $805,000 to the Village of Stockbridge to complete a 3.2 mile construction project upgrading Mike Levine Lakeland Trails State Park from M-52 (Clinton Street) northeast to the Ingham/Livingston County line. As a condition of that grant, Stockbridge Area Wellness Coalition is contributing $15,000 as part of the local funding match requirement. Funds will be managed by Huron Waterloo Pathways Initiative and used by the Village of Stockbridge and MDNR to perform capital improvements later in the trail’s life cycle.
- Community Pathways Tail Maintenance – SAWC will continue helping to maintain the walking pathways located on school property behind the Jr/Sr high school, around Heritage and Smith schools and leading to the west side of the Beckwith Preserve. We work with Dave Mancini who monitors the trails and keeps them from becoming overgrown.
- Bridge to Wellness – The popular B2W returns early in 2020 to introduce Stockbridge area participants to fitness events as well as educational programs. Bridge to Wellness uses the Stockbridge Wellness Center as a base of operations for this community-based weight loss intervention. Of the 84 participants in the 2019 program, 54 completed it and together lost a total of 317 pounds. All adult community members are encouraged to join the 2020 program. Look for more information about the challenge’s structure in January or email [email protected].
- Be Fit – An 8-week program targeting Stockbridge-area youth ages 12-18. This program helps students to begin a regular fitness routine, particularly aimed at students who are not involved in an after-school sport. The program consists of 2 one-hour instructor-led fitness classes per week at the Stockbridge Wellness Center. Each participant will receive an individualized exercise plan, and a pre- and post-fitness assessment. Students are given unlimited access to the Stockbridge Wellness Center during the program. A prize for those who complete the program is awarded at the final session.
- Tide me over – This longstanding program addresses the food gap for children who receive free and reduced lunches. Backpacks filled with basic food for Pre-K – 6th grade children at Smith Elementary and Heritage Schools are sent home each week to help “tide them over” the weekend. Stockbridge Community Outreach oversees the program in collaboration with Stockbridge Community Schools’ staff, Crossroad Community Church volunteers, Greater Lansing Food Bank and Farmers State Bank.
- Smith Healthy Snacks – This Eat Better intervention provides weekly healthy snacks to all Smith Elementary School classes—including the four preschool classes. This year’s coordinator is Kristin Vedder-Clark, who is preparing and distributing 313 individual snacks each week for students.
- Coalition Marketing – The coalition continues its campaign to raise community awareness about SAWC and its offerings. SAWC will invest in advertising, a billboard placement, sponsorships and giveaways.
- SRSLY Stockbridge – SRSLY empowers and equips Stockbridge youth to reach their full potential by remaining substance-free. SRSLY uses multiple strategies, with a focus on youth leadership and community engagement, to help prevent youth substance abuse. The primary population is youth ages 10-15, and their families (approximately 600 youth and their families) within the Stockbridge School District. SRSLY Stockbridge is coordinated by Emily Stewart and Becca Jaskot.
People interested in helping with interventions or who’d like to assist with coalition planning can email [email protected]. The coalition meets at 5:30 pm the third Thursday of the month in Stockbridge Activity Center room 108 (305 Elizabeth Street—come in door #20 off of the parking lot at Cherry & Elm Streets).
