Home >Making Connections >Community Champions Center > Local Task Forces/Community Groups

Local Task Forces/Community Groups

Healthy, Active Kids of the Greater Berwick Area
The overall goal of the Healthy, Active Kids Initiative is to increase physical activity and improve eating habits among school-age children. The initiative was launched by a two-year grant from the Central Susquehanna Community Foundation in 2005 to promote a health-centered, rather than weight-centered, approach to wellness among teens that emphasizes living actively, eating in normal, healthful ways, and respect for differences in body sizes.

Consortium Partners include:

Columbia County Human Services Coalition—Health Task Force
Pennsylvania Advocates for Nutrition and Activity (PANA)
Berwick Area School District, including its PANA- affiliated Wellness Council
Central Susquehanna Community Foundation (Berwick Health and Wellness Fund)
CHS Berwick Hospital
Geisinger Health System – Center for Heath research and Advocacy
Penn State University Cooperative Extension Service
YMCA of Berwick
Bloomsburg University School of Heath Professions
Physicians, nutritionists, and other health care professionals

Project Objectives:

Ensure effective implementation of the Pennsylvania Growth Screening program’s requirement to measure body mass index (BMI) along with height and weight.

Consider body mass index (BMI) in context of overall health, instead of regarding it as a single measure of health status.
Provide training and consultation to health professionals within the school system and within the community to increase their effectiveness in communicating with parents about child nutrition, activity, body size.

Encourage parent involvement and awareness in promoting healthy food choices and physical activity for their child or children.
Encourage safe, convenient, affordable and appealing physical activity within the school day, in after-school activities, and at home with family and friends.
Identify and advocate for changes that promote healthy lifestyles among children and teens in policy, programs and financing of schools, community organizations and health care systems.
Design and implement intervention program(s) for those families who seek assistance for students who are overweight, underweight, or at risk of unhealthy weight. (BMI falling above the 95th percentile or below the 5th percentile; or showing risk at 85th percentile.)
Seek opportunities to leverage financial resources and expertise to accomplish goals.
Evaluate initiative process and outcomes.

For more information, please contact:
Rebecca Eves, Community Coordinator, Columbia Montour Tapestry of Health
rebeccae@fhccp.org
570-752-6935

Bucks Advocates for Nutrition and Activity (BANA)
The mission of BANA is to coordinate and provide programming to increase daily physical activity and improve knowledge of proper nutrition among the children of Bucks County. Contact: Eric Stark, CEO, Lower Bucks Family YMCA 215-949-3400 ext. 13 or estark@lowerbucksymca.org

Current Collaborative Partners:
Lower Bucks Family YMCA, Central Bucks Family YMCA, Upper Bucks YMCA, YWCA of Bucks County Bucks County School's Intermediate Unit, Bucks County Department of Health, American Cancer Society, Bucks County Health Improvement Partnership - "BCHIP", St. Mary Medical Center, Holy Redeemer Health System

Major Objectives

Link with schools regarding BMI letters being sent from school nurses to parents.
Action Steps:
1. Identify proper school personnel to contact
2. Plan and provide a meeting with school nurses to discuss their point of view
Develop programs for after-school timeframes to involve nutrition and physical activity. Action Steps:
1. Research and evaluate existing related programs for possible duplication.
2. Determine necessary frequency and staffing
3. Evaluate need for transportation
4. Evaluate need for equipment
5. Determine costs
6. Secure grant funding
Assist all 13 school districts in the development of Health & Wellness Councils.
1. Identify proper school personnel to serve on councils
2. Encourage attendance at PANA teleconferences and other events
3. Plan and provide an information event to coincide with the January 25, 2005 PANA teleconference.

UPDATE: Please see attached PDF's for Holy Redeemer Health System & St Christopher's Hospital for Children Addressing Childhood Obesity on Thursday, October 12. The conference is for parents. If you have any questions, please let me know. I can be reached @215-938-3999 or e-mail lborkowski@holyredeemer.com

Chester County Advocates for Nutrition and Activity (CCANA)
The main goal of this coalition is to educate and raise awareness on the issues of nutrition and physical activity among the residents of Chester County. At a local level, the Coalition will support the Pennsylvania Nutrition and Physical Activity Plan and the Pennsylvania Advocates for Nutrition and Activity (PANA).

We have promoted the Apple Crunch and and will promote Go for the Greens.
One of our goals is create a local Web Site as part of the Chester Co. Health Department's page to promote CC ANA activities. Meetings are scheduled on Tuesdays, usually in accordance with downlinks, however other times are scheduled throughout the year.

For more information on CC ANA contact:
Katie Kuffner
610-344-5340
kkuffner@chesco.org

Carlisle Regional Advocates for Nutrition and Activity (CRANA)
Mission/Goal: to improve the nutrition and activity levels of people in the Carlisle region at the community, school/youth and workplace levels through behavior-based education, programs and activities. Activities are coordinated and sponsored by the Carlisle Area Health and Wellness Foundation.

Objectives: Three subcommittees have been formed around specific levels of work.

Community: working on identification of best practices, development of "mobile" programs and Walking, Trails and Parks utilization.

Schools/Youth: develop and assist School Health Councils in the region; provide assistance on the incoming BMI mandate for schools in our region.

Workplace: development and implementation of "Wellness at Work" pilot project to enhance employee health knowledge and behavior at seven participating worksites within our region.

All subcommittees have representation on our Symposium committee, which is planning a major event for Friday, November 18, 2005, at Hotel Carlisle featuring walking guru Mark Fenton, school health expert Pat Cooper and Kelly Stobbe from WELCOA as major presenters.

Collaborative Partners:
American Cancer Society
American Heart Association
Big Spring School District
Borough of Carlisle
Carlisle Area Health and Wellness Foundation
Carlisle Area School District
Carlisle Borough, Parks and Recreation
Carlisle Family YMCA
Carlisle Regional Medical Center
Central PA Magazine
Cumberland County HR
Cumberland County Planning Commission
Cumberland Valley School District
Cumberland/Perry Tapestry of Health
Family Health Council of Central PA
Highmark Blue Shield
Highmark Caring Foundation
PA Department. of Health
Pennsylvania Advocates for Nutrition and Activity
Sadler Health Center Corporation
Shippensburg Parks and Recreation
South Middleton School District
South Middleton Township
Strong Consulting Company
YWCA of Carlisle

Contact:
Cliff Deardorff, Director of Planning
Carlisle Area Health and Wellness Foundation
(7170 960-9009 (X8)
cdeardorff@carlislehealthfoundation.org

Lancaster Advocates for Nutrition and Activity (LANA)
For information contact:
Christi Beazley, Kegel's Produce, at 392-6612 x 644 or at cbeazley@kegels.com
Active members: Roy Baldwin, Legislator; Christi Beazley Produce Consultant; Carol Gilbert Child Nutrition Director, Hempfield School District; Fred Kepner, CVRR Coordinator, PA Dept of Health; Jan Kristensen, Parent/Dietician; Jeri Stelson, PA House GOP Chief of Staff; Linda Woods Huber, Director, PSAHPERD; Nancy Wiker, Facilitator, Penn State Cooperative Extension; Alice Yoder, Director of Community Health, Lancaster General Hospital

Monroe Advocates for Nutrition and Activity (MANA)
Meets at the Penn State Cooperative Extension Office, Phillips Street, Stroudsburg, PA. For information contact:
Christina Brecht, RD, MPH at cbrecht@po-box.esu.edu or by phone at 570-629-9672 or Dawn Olson at dmo1@psu.edu or by phone at 570-421-6430.

Oil City School/Community Health Council
A partnership between the Venango County Focus On Our Future Collaborative Board (VENFOOF CB) Healthy Communities/Healthy Youth Task Force and the Oil City School District.

For information contact: Michael T. Callaghan, Community Development Associate, Gateway Health Plan Phone: 412-255-4253 or email: mcallaghan@gatewayhealthplan.com

The Oil City School/Community Health Council is a VENFOOF CB Healthy Communities/Healthy Youth Task Force initiative. The Chairperson for the Healthy Communities/Healthy Youth Task Force is Candace Reina. Candace is also the Executive Director of Venango County Child Care Information Services. (814-437-1906.)

One of the goals for the VENFOOF CB Healthy Communities/Healthy Youth Task Force is to have a representative from each school district on the task force. The idea is to have a county-wide school health team/council (so that all schools can share information.)

Westmoreland County Advocates for Nutrition and Activity (WANA)

Mission: The mission of WANA is to build county-wide capacity for developing an environment to support and promote active lifestyles and healthy food choices through collaboration and coordinated communication.

Goals:

Serve as a communication clearinghouse and county-wide resource for nutrition and physical activity
Provide outreach, education and advocacy for nutrition and activity
Build capacity to promote PANA's overall efforts

DLD156@psu.edu

PJL15@psu.edu