History & Overview
Get A Life! is an initiative of
the Community Foundation of Northwest Mississippi (CFNM) to end childhood
obesity by promoting better access to healthy foods and increased opportunities
for physical activity for children. Our focus is on children 3 – 12 years old
and the adults who have influence on their lives including parents and extended
family, teachers, spiritual leaders, health providers, community leaders and
others.
Get A Life! works through
schools, faith-based organizations, community leaders and many like-minded
partners in an eight county service area including Desoto, Tate, Panola,
Quitman, Tallahatchie, Tunica, Coahoma and Marshall Counties in northwest
Mississippi.
CFNM convened Community Health
Councils in these counties and awarded them $10,000 each to develop and
implement Action Plans designed by residents of each respective county to
address local obstacles to better nutrition and safe places for children to play
in their own communities. Various strategies were employed by the Community
Health Councils including education and awareness about the causes and
consequences of childhood obesity, training in evidence based programs to
promote good nutrition and physical activity for Pre-K and elementary teachers,
community walks, health screenings, provision of equipment in communities
lacking sufficient opportunities for safe places for kids to play, and more.
Healthy Congregations, convened
in 2007, is a regional coalition to engage and empower faith leaders in
Mississippi to use their long standing history and tradition as change agents to
impact the health of their members and their communities. Healthy Congregations
works to establish and support individual faith-based health ministries in
congregations and to connect this growing network currently comprised of six
denominations representing more than 600 congregations.
In 2005, Get A Life! was
awarded the Mississippi Association of Partners in Education Governor’s Award
for District and Community-Wide Partnership with the Desoto County School
District. Get A Life! staff members Judy Belue and Janaye Anderson continue
the work begun in 2005 by providing support and connection to resources further
empower communities to address the obesity crisis their young people face.
Get a Life
is funded by these generous donors:
Blue Cross Blue Shield of MS Foundation
The Bower Foundation
General Mills Champions for Healthy Kids
Get a Life!
321
Losher Street, Hernando MS 38632
(662) 298-0027 Phone * (662) 298-0028 Fax *
judy@kidsgetalife.org
