The City of Moscow has been selected as one of seven finalists for the High Five Children’s Health Collaborative Grant via the Blue Cross of Idaho Foundation for Health.
The grant is a statewide effort with the goal to fight childhood obesity. The purpose of the grant is to educate Idahoans while reversing effects of obesity by improving access to healthy and affordable foods, increasing physical activity opportunities, helping parents make healthy family choices, creating healthy schools and childcare facilities and promoting public policy that increases access to healthy foods and opportunities for physical activities.
The city’s goal is to develop a program that encourages walking or biking to community activities and to extend educational opportunities for both adults and children to learn more about the importance of nutrition.
“We are always looking for different ways to help our community be more healthy,” said Jen Pfiffner, project manager and assistant to the City Supervisor.
In order to apply for the grant, the city submitted a five page overview explaining their goals and partnerships.
“One of the things we’re really excited about in Moscow is how we’re always able to partner with the University of Idaho, the school district and many others,” Pfiffner said. “So that was kind of key in our application, we sent that in and within about a week they let us know that we were selected as a finalist.”
The city was informed of its selection on Aug. 23. The amount of the grant is undecided and will depend on the utilization of the grant. Moscow could potentially receive between $50,000 to $300,000.
After being selected, the city created and submit a three-minute video about Moscow’s community, in order to complete the application process.
The city is currently working toward promoting the video since each video is voted on by the public and makes up 25 percent of each finalist score.
“The grant would provide us with the money to promote activities and put activities in place,” said Alisa Stone, City of Moscow Grants Manager.
Currently, four program elements are being considered to teach youth about healthy eating and active lifestyle habits. These programs include a passport system for free fruits and vegetables for walking or biking to the farmer’s market, free children’s cooking classes, a summer reading program with fruit and vegetable themed books and a free summer lunch program where educational information will be given.
“We’re working on creating a healthy lifestyle here in Moscow, we don’t necessarily want to force anybody to do anything but if we can give them an opportunity to try new fruits and vegetables, or give them an incentive to bike places or walk places and do those kinds of things we think we’ll see the health of our community improve,” Pfiffner said.
Blue Cross of Idaho will announce the winner Oct. 3.
Arianna Anchustegui can be reached at [email protected]