Mass in Motion Initiatives to Expand in County
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LEE, Mass. — The Tri-Town Health Department is collaborating with the Northern Berkshire Community Coalition and has been awarded three more years of additional funding to promote interventions on healthy eating and active living efforts.
Both organizations will collaborate in unison in an effort to continue the health and wellness initiatives.
With the funding cuts to the Community Transformation grant, the Massachusetts Department of Public Health released a new RFP that would support the Mass in Motion Municipal Wellness and Leadership grant. This funding aims to support communities in an effort to address overweight and obesity through the implementation of policy, systems and environmental strategies to increase access to healthy eating and active living.
Both organizations have an existing relationship on similar health and wellness initiatives including partnering on Opioid abuse prevention, tobacco control, and the Prevention Wellness Trust Fund initiatives.
"Working with Tri-Town Health District will afford us the opportunities to offer parts of the county the knowledge and benefits of healthy eating and active living and the policy changes necessary to make it easier to do that," said Coalition Executive Director Al Bashevkin.
"Both Al and I have an existing relationship that supports similar initiatives and it felt like a natural fit to submit a proposal so we can continue working towards heathier communities. Although the funds are reduced, this will allow us the ability to represent 70% of the Berkshire County population," Tri-Town Executive Director James J. Wilusz said.
Both Mass in Motion Coordinators Amanda Chilson and Karen Rowe have been collaborating with communities on the creation of walking loops, the North Adams Mayoral Fitness Challenge, promoting healthier dining options in restaurants, better food choices in convenience stores, supporting farmers markets, bike-to-school day events, and many other policy related initiatives.
Starting Oct. 1, the following communities will be supported by the new Mass in Motion funding: Adams, Clarksburg, Great Barrington, Lee, Lenox, North Adams, Pittsfield and Stockbridge. For more information on Mass in Motion, please visit www.mass.gov/massinmotion, www.tritownhealth.org, and www.nbccoalition.org.
