June 25, 2010 – All residents and neighbors of the Inskip, Lonsdale and Mascot communities are invited to attend public meetings hosted by the Knox County Healthy Kids, Healthy Communities Partnership. The goal of the meetings is to start consolidating ideas and creating a common intent to reshape the community environment to support healthy living. Attendees also will be given information from the walking assessments conducted in each area. This information will help each community identify problems or opportunities where improvements can be made.
The meetings are free and open to the public. Anyone planning to attend should call ahead to register at865- 215-5184 or ben.epperson@knoxcounty.org. The first 20 people to RSVP and participate in the meeting will receive light snacks and be registered to win a $50 Wal-Mart certificate. Child care will be provided. The meeting locations, dates and times are listed below.
Thursday, June 24 at 5:45 p.m.
SOAR Youth Ministries
1319 Connecticut Avenue in Knoxville
Tuesday, June 29 at 5:45 p.m.
East Knox Elementary School
9315 Rutledge Pike in Mascot
Thursday, July 8 at 5:45 p.m.
Inskip-Norwood Recreation Center
301 Inskip Drive in Knoxville
Knox County is one of 41 sites selected to participate in the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s Healthy Kids, Healthy Communities initiative. Plans for the funding, as outlined by the grant, are to improve opportunities for physical activity and access to affordable, healthy foods for children and families in Knox County.
The Knox County Healthy Kids, Healthy Communities Partnership will focus on creating healthier local neighborhoods in target communities with high rates of childhood obesity. Initially, the Partnership will work with the following three communities: Lonsdale, Inskip and Mascot. During the next four years, at least 10 Knox County communities will be involved with the Partnership. Two priorities will be to create safer places for children to walk, bike and play near their homes by expanding neighborhood Safe Routes to School options, and to improve access to healthy, affordable foods by starting community gardens and adding to the number of healthy food and beverage options offered at local convenience stores. Because four out of 10 children in Knox County are either overweight or obese, increasing access to healthy foods and providing safe places for youth activity are essential to supporting behavior that leads to a healthy weight.
Knox County Health Department is committed to promoting public health policies and practices to safeguard and improve quality of life for all residents. KCHD offers an array of resources, including medical and dental services, family planning, disease surveillance and control, emergency preparedness, air quality management, environmental services, food preparation oversight in public places, smoking cessation, family violence prevention, worksite wellness, nutritional programs and much more. For more information about Knox County Health Department, visit www.knoxcounty.org/health.
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