Mount Vernon Receives $30,000 Grant to Increase Access to Healthy Foods in Parks and Recreation
Friends of Mount Vernon Arts, Recreation and Youth Programs, Inc. (FMVARYP) and Mount Vernon Recreation Department in partnership with the National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA), have received a $30,000 grant to increase access to healthy foods through park and recreation programs. The gift is part of a $1.5 million grant NRPA received from the Walmart Foundation to increase access to healthy foods in park and recreation agencies across the country.
FMVARYP’s grant will help increase access to healthy foods and improve opportunities for physical activity through Increasing Access to Healthy Foods. Mount Vernon Recreation Department will also receive additional support for meals provided through USDA afterschool and summer feeding programs as well as nutritional literacy materials to help ensure life-long healthy habits for Mount Vernon’s youth.
“Growing up hungry made me ever hungry to drive hunger out of Mount Vernon,” said Mayor Richard Thomas. “Thank you to the NRPA and Commissioner Darren Morton who understand that feeding people is the right way to enable our families, empower our elders to better nourish the young.”
Local park and recreation agencies are community health and wellness hubs. For decades, parks and recreation have been one of the largest providers of healthy meals to children in low-income communities through the USDA child nutrition programs, working to address hunger, provide nutrition education, and keep youth safe and engaged during out-of-school times.
“Food brings people together and full stomachs leave little room for those in poverty to become full of despair. Gangs typically attract members because they are desperate for food or love. Increasing access to healthy food is a major priority of my Healthy Home Initiative to strengthen the weak to join the good fight for the greater good!” said Mayor Thomas.
The Mayor’s Healthy Home Initiative is a City-wide campaign to engage residents on health, wellness, and the pursuit of happiness across all categories including (but not limited to) agricultural, educational, environmental, energy, financial, social, physical, and spiritual.
Building upon this strong foundation and the existing strengths of local park and recreation agencies, NRPA seeks to expand the role and capacity of local parks and recreation to improve food access across diverse communities and generations by piloting and evaluating three innovation strategies:
1. Starting or expanding farmers markets and/or community supported agriculture (CSA) programs at P&R sites to increase access to healthy, fresh, and local produce;
2. Starting or expanding intergenerational meal programs that address the nutritional needs of vulnerable youth and seniors, and foster opportunities for nutrition education, mentorship and social engagement for youth and seniors; and
3. Addressing transportation and infrastructure barriers in communities by piloting models that leverage existing resources and assets, building partnerships, and utilizing volunteers or innovative systems to transport kids to sites.
According to Share our Strength’s No Kid Hungry Campaign, 1 in 6 kids across the country struggle with hunger every day. During the school year, over 21 million low-income children receive free or reduced meals to help them meet their daily nutrition needs, but only 3 million of these children receive these meals during the summer. During summer months, these children may not have access to quality and healthy food to help them grow — making FMVARYP and Mount Vernon Recreation Department’s work during out-of-school times that much more critical.
“NRPA is thankful for our partnership with the Walmart Foundation to support local park and recreation agencies who make health and wellness a priority in the communities they serve — especially during out-of-school time,” said Kellie May, NRPA vice president of programs. “Parks and recreation are proving their critical role in the health of their communities and we can’t wait to see the impact this year’s grants will have on fostering life-long healthy habits in children across the country”
To learn more about Commit to Health, visit www.nrpa.org/committohealth.
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About the Friends of Mount Vernon Arts, Recreation and Youth Programs, Inc.
The Friends of Mount Vernon Arts, Recreation and Youth Programs, Inc. (FMVARYP) is a local not-for-profit organization dedicated to providing financial, volunteer, and programmatic support for recreational, cultural, senior citizen and youth services to the 68,000 residents of Mount Vernon. The FRMVARYP coordinates efforts and raises funds to sponsor youth and senior programs; concerts and performing arts; health, fitness and wellness activities; instruction and training; and recreation facilities improvements that benefit the underprivileged.
About the National Recreation and Park Association
The National Recreation and Park Association is a national not-for-profit organization dedicated to ensuring that all Americans have access to parks and recreation for health, conservation and social equity. Through its network of 60,000 recreation and park professionals and advocates, NRPA encourages the promotion of healthy and active lifestyles, conservation initiatives and equitable access to parks and public space. For more information, visit www.nrpa.org. For digital access to NRPA’s flagship publication, Parks & Recreation, visit www.parksandrecreation.org.
