By Staff Reports
(Honolulu) —Kaiser Permanente Hawaii today announced the awarding of more than $286,200 in community benefit grants to six Hawaii nonprofits, which will implement health and wellness initiatives throughout the state.
“Promoting healthy eating and active living in the community, and particularly in schools, plays a huge role in improving the health of our state,” said Mary Ann Barnes, RN, president of Kaiser Permanente Hawaii. “Providing greater opportunities to stay healthy through community programs, access to fresh foods, and educational initiatives can reduce health disparities, especially among our most vulnerable communities.”
The following programs have been selected to receive funding:
- University of Hawaii Foundation received $95,000 for its Hawaii 5210 initiative to promote healthy nutrition and smart beverage choices in Hawaii public schools. Twenty-six participating schools will earn water bottle filling stations by adopting wellness policies, such as limiting or eliminating the availability of sugary beverages on campus. The initiative will benefit approximately 25,000 students in its current phase and has the opportunity to expand to additional school districts during the upcoming 2016–2017 school year.
- Get Fit Kauai and Na Lei Wili Area Health Education Center received $60,000 to promote public health in Kauai through an integrated strategy involving schools, businesses and the community at large. Get Fit Kauai plans to implement Safe Routes to School, a program which promotes physical activity and safe environments for keiki; engage businesses throughout the island to invest in worksite wellness challenges; and collaborate with Kauai County Mayor Bernard Carvalho Jr.’s office on the Mayor-a-thon — a community event for residents to walk, run or bike for better health.
- Hawaii Public Health Institute (HIPHI) received $50,000 in support of researching and developing health policy recommendations related to the state Obesity Prevention Task Force (OPTF) and Nutrition and Physical Activity Coalition (NPAC). HIPHI collaborates with state and county policymakers, departments, community-based organizations and other institutional partners, and utilizes data related to school and student health, needs and gaps, nutrition and physical activity, and school and community food systems, to issue its recommendations. Kaiser Permanente’s grant will support the identification and development of two statewide health policies related to improving nutrition and physical activity.
- Adult Friends for Youth (AFY) was awarded $45,000 for its collaboration with Kaiser Permanente to support in-school and neighborhood group counseling services for at-risk youth in Kalihi and Waipahu. The partnership will promote positive youth development through redirectional therapy in peer-to-peer and group settings, providing an opportunity to empower youth to develop leadership skills and model healthy behaviors. The program is expected to benefit 1,000 students through school-based activities and interventions.
- The Honolulu Theatre for Youth (HTY) was awarded $20,000 to integrate elements of Kaiser Permanente’s Healthy Eating Active Living (HEAL) campaign in its stage production, “The Tiny Tree.” The original play, designed to promote positive emotional and behavioral development in preschoolers, will be performed on stage or paired with interactive workshops and classroom activities to reach an expected 9,000 preschool children on Oahu and neighbor islands in 2016.
- Better Tomorrows at Kuhio Park Towers (KPT) received $16,267 to install 10 tower gardens for residents and support youth education related to growing chemical-free fresh produce. The project impacts an estimated 1,000 public housing residents with a focus on promoting fresh, healthy foods in vulnerable communities.
About Kaiser Permanente
Kaiser Permanente Hawaii has provided total health to the people of Hawaii for more than 50 years, with physicians who are members of the Hawaii Permanente Medical Group, the largest multi-specialty physician group practice in the state of Hawaii. Kaiser Permanente is dedicated to care innovations, clinical research, health education, and the support of community health. Visit kp.org for additional information. Become a fan of good health with Kaiser Permanente Hawaii: Like our page at Facebook.com/KPHawaii and follow @KPHawaii on Twitter.