Wellmark Foundation grant helps create healthy food access plan for Davenport citizens in need

Grant, chosen from 150 requests, will identify high risk neighborhoods, gather community input

February 15, 2011

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(Des Moines, Iowa) – The Scott County YMCA will use a $25,000 grant from the Wellmark Foundation to help Davenport citizens in need gain access to healthy foods.

The Davenport Healthy Foods Coalition – Planning Project will create a comprehensive plan to address food access issues throughout the community. The project brings together a community-wide coalition of organizations who are working on food security issue.

This planning phase of the project will conduct research used to develop a Healthy Foods Access Plan. Activities include:

• Collecting data on food access indicators and resources within the community
• Identifying high-risk neighborhoods
• Gathering citizen input through focus groups, surveys and events

Grant one of only 17 competitively selected
The Wellmark Foundation is a non-profit foundation that seeks to improve the health of Iowans, South Dakotans, and their communities. Through its 2010 Healthy Communities Grant Program, the Foundation received nearly 150 grant requests. This grant award to Scott County YMCA represents one of 17 competitively awarded to establish or expand health initiatives throughout Iowa and South Dakota.

Cumulatively, The Wellmark Foundation is proud to award $1,334,817 to these 17 grants to serve as catalyst funding for local health projects.

“Developing a healthy foods access plan will lay the foundation for future health and wellness initiatives in Davenport,” says Matt McGarvey, the Foundation’s director. “This unique project model can also be replicated by other communities.”

About Scott County Family YMCA
The Scott County Family YMCA movement is dedicated to creating positive, proactive development for every citizen in our community. Our work is achieved through the action of nearly 60,000 human beings. The organization strives to develop positive associations and fundamentally strong organizations that will drive the community forward into the future based on a healthier spirit, mind and body for all.

For more information about Scott County YMCA, contact Christy Filby, (309) 798-3423 / cfilby@quadcitiesymca.org. For more information regarding the Wellmark Foundation and its grant programs, visit www.wellmark.com/foundation.