City of Bloomington Receives Funding For Healthy Neighborhoods Inititative

City of Bloomington Receives Funding For Healthy Neighborhoods Inititative

Date of Record: June 16, 2006

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 16, 2006

For more information, contact:
Nancy Woolery, Health Projects Coordinator, Community and Family Resources, City of Bloomington, 349-3851
Maria Heslin, Communications Director, City of Bloomington, 349-3569

Bloomington, IN -- Mayor Mark Kruzan announced today that the City of Bloomington has received $8,200 from the Community Foundation of Bloomington and Monroe County to fund a Healthy Neighborhoods Initiative Project. The project will target low-income families who do not have adequate access to health care. Families will receive medical screenings with appropriate follow-up care, and will be able to attend community health education programs focused on lifestyle behavior changes to improve health outcomes.

"All Bloomington residents deserve quality healthcare," Kruzan said. "This funding will allow the City of Bloomington and other community partners to educate citizens about good health practices and provide assistance to those who need it most."

The Healthy Neighborhoods Initiative is a community partnership that includes the City of Bloomington's Community and Family Resources Department, Bloomington Hospital, Center for Behavioral Health, Monroe County Health Department, Bloomington Housing Authority, South Central Community Action Program, Crestmont Boys and Girls Club, and the Indiana Institute on Disability and Community.

The initiative will help expand community partnerships to deliver health services to more families and also will educate people on the importance of taking control of their own health by teaching lifestyle behavior changes. It also will provide health promotion programs that will show people how to modify health risk factors including nutrition, weight control, tobacco cessation, exercise, diabetes, cholesterol, blood pressure, safety and mental well-being.

The funds also will support a Community Health and Wellness Fair that will be held at the Bloomington Housing Authority, 1007 N. Summitt, on Tuesday, August 1 from 5-8 p.m. The fair is in conjunction with the 22nd National Night Out, a crime and safety event sponsored by the National Association of Town Watch (NATW) in partnership with Target and the U.S.Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Assistance.

For more information, contact Nancy Woolery, Health Projects Coordinator for the City of Bloomington at 349-3851 or [wooleryn@bloomington.in.gov|mailto:wooleryn@bloomington.in.gov].

# # #