Interacting problems of low income and lack of access and/or transportation to grocery stores impacts older adults� ability to maintain basic nutrition, resulting in poor diets with lower than recommended consumption of fruits and vegetables and poor health. The Georgia Department of Public Health enabled Open Hand to offer Market Basket pantry bags including fresh fruits and vegetables to seniors evaluated as food insecure, and follow up at 3-month and 6-month intervals to evaluate outcomes on food insecurity, fruit and vegetable consumption, and nutrition knowledge. Seniors participating in the first two phases of the program reported worrying less about having enough food, increased fruit and vegetable consumption and increased nutrition knowledge.

January 2012
South Georgia Healthy Living Youth Leadership Team

Valdosta, GA � South Georgia Healthy Living Youth Leadership Team representatives comprised of youth and youth leaders addressed the Lowndes County Board of Commissioners on Tuesday, January 10. Nine of a 24-member team of youth leaders expressed their appreciation to the Commissioners for their existing support, as the team strives to reach more youth in South Georgia and promote healthy living choices. �Our team encourages �school systems in South Georgia to adopt a 100% Tobacco Free Campus policy,� said Bruce Scott. �Since tobacco contributes to more deaths than alcohol, drugs and firearms combined (over 400,000 deaths per year), we appreciate the Commissioners� support in helping us reach more youth in South Georgia to promote healthy living choices.�

November 201111
Let�s Move, Georgia Schools Challenge:
Schools Get Physically Active to "Move Your Body" Dance!

Students, teachers and school staff at Arbor Elementary School in Newnan, Georgia joined schools across the state in performing the "Move Your Body" dance during September as one of many strategies to combat childhood obesity. With some help from multi Grammy award winning Beyonc� Knowles, participants learned that physical activity can be fun, cool and hip!

The Department of Public Health, Nutrition and Physical Activity Initiative encourages all schools and communities to take part in the "Move Your Body" dance and physical activity as a lifetime healthy behavior change to prevent obesity and other chronic diseases. So get moving Georgia and Move Your Bodies! To learn more and see more videos of schools across the state engaging in this activity, click here.

October 2011
North and Central Georgia:
Farm to School programs making headlines

Georgia may rank 2nd in childhood obesity, but farm to school programs that address this critical issue are on the rise. Georgia Organics, a state-wide non profit dedicated to connecting Georgians with fresh, local food, is building these programs with strategic support from state agencies, as well as grassroots support from local school districts, farmers, teachers and community members. With the help of the Georgia Department of Public Health ARRA funded Communities Putting Prevention to Work grant, Georgia Organics is providing the training and support for teachers, farmers, cafeteria staff, and community members in Jackson and Bibb Counties to begin building the foundation of rural, comprehensive farm to school programs in Georgia.

September 2011
Empowering Youth to Make Healthy Living
Decisions in Their Community

Immigrants with low income often face multiple barriers when addressing issues of nutrition and physical activity. Through a planter gardening initiative and youth educational summer program, CPACS is working to improve access to healthy living opportunities for immigrants and others in the Chamblee/Doraville area. The most important success of the Grow Project thus far has been a heightened awareness of the impact of environmental change on personal and community health among the population of Chamblee/Doraville. By implementing surveys and asking for feedback on the project, CPACS is committed to tailoring programs based on the community�s needs and desires.

�If I didn�t have this summer program (CPACS� Project Grow), I would be sitting at home playing video games all summer. We get to do fun things like play sports and go on field trips to the skating rink and the Oakhurst Community Garden.� �Randell (Middle School Student)

This project is funded through a grant from the Georgia Department of Public Health�s Health Promotion Disease Prevention Programs� CPPW American Recovery and Reinvestment Act Obesity initiative.

August 2011
Southwest Georgia: Improving Awareness and Access to Healthy Food through
Farmers Markets and Farm to School Education

The Federation of Southern Cooperatives, in partnership with East Baker Historical Society and the Southwest Georgia Project, has established farmers markets in Albany and Newton, Georgia, in locations where grocery stores are distant and difficult for low income families to reach to purchase fresh fruit and vegetables, which are major components of a healthy diet.

The farmers markets have increased availability of fresh produce and have provided an opportunity for local farmers to sell food they have produced and for start-up food entrepreneurs to sell their products, as well as creating several part-time jobs. Perhaps our most important accomplishment is attracting several hundred patrons to the Baker County market in a community of 4,000 people and attracting over 1,000 patrons in Albany to the downtown area, which lately has been little used on weekends. This high level of patronage gives everyone the confidence to devote efforts to selling and buying at the markets in the future.

July 2011
East Atlanta Village Farmers Market

Thanks to funding from the Department of Public Health�s Georgia Communities Putting Prevention to Work Grant, EAVFM is working with five community partners that serve different segments of the residents of the neighborhood: Burgess Peterson Elementary School; McNair High School; the East Atlanta Kids Club; Branan Towers Senior Center; and the Kirkwood Health Center.

In addition the East Atlanta Village Farmers Market moved locations to double lot with more room for a special chef demo area and a community garden. The Market began our season on May 5th and runs through Thanksgiving. Thanks to the funding from the CPPW Grant, Chef Seth Freedman will be doing a chef demo at the EAV Farmers Market every Thursday this season. Chef Seth will be teaching how to cook in season, healthily and affordability. At these demos, Chef Seth uses only ingredients from the local vendors at the market. We opened our Edible Learning Garden to teach easy and affordable urban gardening methods. Thanks to the funding from the CPPW Grant, the EAV Farmers Market has seen our most successful few weeks in history!

June 2011
HABESHA Gardens

HABESHA works to create opportunities to engage residents in a grassroots approach to community development whereby interested participants can gain skills and training in an emerging green industry while accessing healthy organically grown food. Through this program, residents are encouraged to participate in the development of a local food economy and learn to support their community through the cultivation of food. The objectives of this work include the following:

To increase accessibility to healthy and affordable produce in Mechanicville and Pittsburgh and surrounding NPU-V communities by offering training opportunities that improve residents� ability to grow organic foods.

Expand educational programs and recreational activities offered to youth attending local neighborhood schools.

May 2011
Truly Living Well Center for Natural Urban Agriculture

As a Communities Putting Prevention to Work (CPPW) Grantee, TLW will be able to increase the production and distribution of wholesome food for the Atlanta Community; and provide training and educational opportunities to local farmers, volunteers and students.

TLW�s newest project is the Wheat Street Garden, an 8 acre self sustained organic farm/park and training center located in the Historic Old 4th Ward near the Martin Luther King, Jr. Center in downtown Atlanta. The project's mission is to use urban agriculture to develop healthier communities and improve the environment through quality food production. For more information, please visit www.trulylivingwell.com.