BPHC Receives 3-Year Mass in Motion Grant to Promote Healthy Eating and Physical Activity in Roxbury
BOSTON—The Boston Public Health Commission announced today that it has received the Massachusetts Department of Public Health’s (DPH) Mass in Motion Municipal Wellness and Leadership 3-year grant to support obesity and chronic disease prevention efforts in the neighborhood of Roxbury. The annual funding of $50,000 will support a robust partnership of representatives from multiple sectors including community-based organizations, resident coalitions, healthcare, local business, and city government.
"This new collaboration among residents, city agencies, and community-based organizations with deep ties to the neighborhood will allow us to build upon the great work that’s already happening here,” said Mayor Martin J. Walsh. “It is exciting to be a part of the innovative and thoughtful programs that will continue to transform Roxbury.”
“These grants enable cities and towns across the Commonwealth to make healthy eating and active living easier for people to achieve,” said DPH Commissioner Cheryl Bartlett. “Grantees, such as Roxbury in Motion, are working to make the healthy choice the easy choice by ensuring the availability of healthy affordable foods and promoting opportunities for physical activity.”
BPHC will serve as municipal lead with
Madison Park Development Corporation (MPDC) serving as the principal community partner for the new initiative, Roxbury in Motion. For nearly 50 years, MPDC has worked to promote the revitalization and redevelopment of Roxbury. This new endeavor builds on their years of experience in organizing adults and youth around healthy eating and active living.
Strategies will focus on policy, systems and environmental changes aimed at reducing inequities in obesity and chronic disease that Roxbury residents experience at a higher rate compared to Boston overall. In Roxbury, the prevalence of adult diabetes is significantly higher than that of Boston overall at 15%, compared to 9% citywide.
“Roxbury in Motion aims to transform where residents already call home, and give them better access to healthy and safe places to live, work, play, pray, and learn so that they can lead healthier, more productive lives,” said Barbara Ferrer, Executive Director of the Boston Public Health Commission.
Roxbury in Motion will focus on three action areas:
1. Expand existing initiatives by MPDC, the Dudley Real Food Hub, and other Roxbury organizations to improve on the availability and affordability of healthy food through farmers markets, Community Supported Agriculture (CSA), community gardens, urban agriculture, and improved options in retail stores
2. Support ongoing efforts by the City of Boston, resident groups, and other stakeholders to design and develop shared space for all modes of transportation, including vehicles, bikes, and pedestrians, within Dudley Square and along Melnea Cass Boulevard
3.
Collaborate with established neighborhood initiatives, including the
Violence Intervention Prevention (VIP) coalition, to develop innovative strategies that will increase usage of Roxbury’s many parks and green spaces
“Madison Park Development Corporation is honored to embark on this exciting new endeavor to promote the health and wellbeing of the residents of Roxbury,” said Jeanne Pinado, Chief Executive Officer of MPDC. “We are excited to work alongside partners from across the neighborhood to make lasting changes that support our community to thrive.”
“I’m so proud of the work that’s happening on the ground in Roxbury to address health disparities in this community,” said City Councilor Tito Jackson who will serve on the Roxbury in Motion Leadership Team. “This new funding through Roxbury in Motion will help us to take existing work to the next level, to take a closer look at how we can address barriers to health here in our community and work together to ensure the optimum health of all our residents.”
Roxbury in Motion will launch on October 1, 2014, aligning with Roxbury Rising Against Diabetes, a month-long series of events led by the Healthier Roxbury Coalition. Residents and other interested stakeholders are welcomed to join Roxbury in Motion for free Wednesday Walks to learn about this work and become involved. Gently paced walks will begin and end at Hibernian Hall and will be held each Wednesday in October from 12-1pm.
