Bloomington Parks and Recreation Receives Grant for Summer Food and Education Programs

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 23, 2014

For more information, please contact:

Paula McDevitt, Recreation Services Director, City of Bloomington Parks and Recreation Department, 812.349.3713 or mcdevitp@bloomington.in.gov

Bloomington Parks and Recreation Receives Grant for Summer Food and Education Programs

Bloomington, Ind. - The City of Bloomington Parks and Recreation Department has received a $25,500 grant to support summer healthy food access and nutritional literacy programs for youth throughout Bloomington.

The grant is part of a $2.3 million award the National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA) received from the Walmart Foundation to support out-of-school time programs in 50 different parks and recreation agencies across the country.

Bloomington Parks and Recreation's Summer Food program started nine years ago, and since then has served 22,214 healthy, nutritious meals to children in need. The NRPA and Walmart Foundation grant will allow Bloomington Parks and Recreation to expand its commitment to providing both healthy nutritious food and nutrition education programs to youth by partnering with other youth-serving organizations like Girls, Inc. and the Boys and Girls Clubs.

According to Leslie Brinson, facility coordinator for the City of Bloomington Banneker Community Center, the Parks and Recreation Department will also use some of the grant funds to add morning bus service to and from the Summer Food and Fun program that takes place at Banneker Monday through Friday, June 2 through July 25.

"By offering morning transportation, we can relieve some of the stress on families and make our programs more accessible. We believe this transportation will increase the numbers of children we are able to serve, and give us more regular participant attendance," Brinson said.

The Parks and Recreation Department plans to keep its summer food and nutrition programs running through the end of the summer and will invest some of the grant funds in food service and delivery equipment, such as large coolers. The new equipment will allow the Department and its partners to continue to offer healthy summer meals at local satellite locations for years to come.

Jaclyn Braspenninx, health and wellness coordinator for the Bloomington Parks and Recreation Department, said the grant for the summertime food programs will support not only actual meals, but an entire nutritional literacy and physical activity curriculum.

"Bloomington Parks and Recreation is committed to finding ways to help the community in their efforts to lead healthy, active lifestyles," Braspenninx said. "All our partners, plus staff and volunteers from the IU School of Public Health, will be trained to use activities and plans at all six summer food program sites. The educational materials come from an established, proven program that will help show children in a fun way all the great benefits of making healthy choices in what they eat and do, through the summer and beyond."

Braspenninx also said the Department and its partners have pledged to adhere to nutrition and activity standards throughout the life of the program. These standards include a commitment to serving a fruit or vegetable at every snack and meal, providing plain drinking water for free to children and staff at all times, and serving only non-caffeinated beverages. Physical activity standards include playing outside whenever possible, and limiting screen time on electronic devices.

For more information about the NRPA Out-of-School Time Programs Grant, or the Banneker Summer Food and Fun program, contact Bloomington Parks and Recreation at 812.349.3735.

###

About Bloomington Parks and Recreation

The Bloomington Parks and Recreation Department is responsible for more than $50 million in City assets. The Department manages more than 2,300 acres of property including 40 park sites, a golf course, an ice arena, two outdoor pools, three community centers, three natural resource properties, 13 ball fields, 22 tennis courts, 19 basketball courts and approximately 30 miles of trails. More than 1,000 programs, classes and events are provided to our community through the support of the Mayor, City Council, Board of Parks Commissioners and most importantly, the citizens of Bloomington.

About National Recreation and Park Association

The National Recreation and Park Association is a national not-for-profit organization dedicated to advancing park, recreation and conservation efforts that enhance quality of life for all people. Through its network of roughly 40,000 parks and recreation professionals and citizens, NRPA encourages the promotion of healthy lifestyles, conservation initiatives and equitable access to parks and public spaces. For more information, visit www.NRPA.org. For digital access to NRPA's flagship publication, Parks & Recreation, visit [www.parksandrecreation.org].