Toolkit for Faith-based & Neighborhood Organizations 

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF 

HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES 
This toolkit was produced by the White House Office of Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships team, led by the 

Centers for Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the U.S. 

Department of Agriculture, the U.S. Department of Education, and the Corporation for National and Community Service, in 

collaboration with the Office of the First Lady and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
	

You can find more ideas for supporting Let’s Move! and download the full version of the Let’s Move: Faith and Communities 

Toolkit for Faith-based and Neighboorhood Organizations at http://www.letsmove.gov
	
What’s Inside...
	

Executive Summary 

5
	

Introduction 

7
	

The Need 

8
	

The Opportunity 

9
	

Action Items 

9
	

Pillar 1: Healthy Choices 12
	

Pillar 2: Healthy Schools 22
	

Pillar 3: Physical Activity 30
	

Pillar 4: Affordable and Accessible Food 38
	

Additional Resources 44
	

Building Networks and Partnerships 51
	

 

Executive Summary
	

The Let’s Move! campaign, started by First Lady Michelle Obama, has an ambitious 

national goal of solving the challenge of childhood obesity within a generation so that 

children born today will reach adulthood at a healthy weight. Let’s Move! addresses 

the epidemic of childhood obesity through a comprehensive approach that engages 

every sector impacting the health of children and provides schools, families and 

communities simple tools to help kids be more active, eat better, and get healthy. 

Faith-based and neighborhood organizations have a unique and critical role to 

play in ending childhood obesity and addressing related issues of hunger. Your 

organizations are trusted leaders in the community, making you well-positioned to 

encourage people to take action. Children learn many lessons about healthy living 

and well-being in faith- and community-based settings that set the foundation for 

their lifestyle as adults. This toolkit is designed to help faith-based and neighborhood 

organizations transform neighborhoods, engage communities, and promote healthy 

choices. There are a variety of activities and resources provided in this toolkit, so 

please don’t feel as if you need to do all of them. We invite you to explore the menu 

of options and to see which ones could work best for your organization. Below we 

have highlighted five activities that are quite popular. You can find more information 

by exploring each of the four Let’s Move! sections included in this toolkit. 

Let’s Move! | 5
	
 

Five ideas to Get started 

• Grow a garden: Open up land at your house of worship or organization to 

community members who may not have their own space to grow food or start 

a community garden (see the step-by-step guide for information on how to get 

started). 

• take the President’s Challenge: Help children get physically active by taking 

the President’s Active Lifestyle Challenge and hosting the challenge within 

your organization. All you have to do to earn a Presidential Active Lifestyle Award 

(PALA) is be physically active for five days a week for six weeks! For more 

information, visit http://www.presidentschallenge.org (see the step-by-step 

guide for information on how to get started). 

• Make community meals healthier: At community or congregation potlucks or 

meals, provide healthy options, including fresh fruits and vegetables and whole 

grains. Use smaller plates at events to encourage smaller portions. Studies 

show that using smaller plates reduces the amount of food people eat, which is 

a healthier choice and saves money. People do not usually notice differences in 

portion size and unknowingly eat larger amounts when presented with a larger 

portion. For more information on portion size, visit the National Heart, Lung 

and Blood Institute at http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov and check out the We Can! 

Educational Campaign. 

• Partner with a school: Provide community access to your buildings and facilities 

to operate a Summer Food Service Program or afterschool program to ensure that 

children have access to healthy meals when school is out. For more information on 

the Summer Food Service Program, visit http://www.summerfood.usda.gov. For 

information on creating formal agreements for community access to your buildings 

and facilities (for any after-hours activities), visit http://www.jointuse.org. 

• encourage families in your community to make small, simple changes to 

their daily lives: Families can add a side of fruit or veggies to every meal, drink 

more water and skim milk, go for family walks and get screened for obesity. At 

their next family checkup, they can ask the doctor to take each child’s Body Mass 

Index. It’s an easy way to understand if kids are at a healthy weight. 

6 | Let’s Move!
	
 

 

Introduction
	

To tackle the challenge of childhood obesity in America, the First Lady, Michelle Obama, is leading an Administration-wide effort with 

the bold, ambitious goal of solving the problem of childhood obesity within a generation. She launched Let’s Move!, an initiative 

designed to engage parents, families, teenagers, children, schools, and communities in the fight against childhood obesity and 

ensure access to affordable and healthy food. 

Over one-third of American children are at risk of being overweight or obese. At the same time, one million children in the United 

States did not get enough to eat in 2008. We need your help to reverse these trends. This toolkit is designed to help faith-based 

and neighborhood organizations engage their communities and promote healthy choices and access to healthy food. Since there 

is a great deal of variation among faith-based and neighborhood organizations, we include a variety of activities so that every 

organization or congregation has the opportunity to be part of Let’s Move! 

This toolkit provides concrete action steps that an organization can take for each of the four pillars of Let’s Move! The four pillars 

are: 

• Healthy Choices, 

• Healthy schools, 

• Physical activity, 

• affordable and accessible Food. 

We have included tips on how to get started and stories of groups that are working on these issues and succeeding. 

Think of these action steps as a menu of options – you don’t have to order the whole menu! Rather, this toolkit provides different 

steps for you to consider which strategies match up with resources and interests in your community. Also, a web-based version of 

this toolkit can be found at http://www.letsmove.gov. 

Thank you for all you do in your communities and for being involved in this important initiative. Now, Let’s Move!... 

Let’s Move! | 7
	
The Need 

Obesity has increased rapidly in the United States. Since 1970, the percentage of children 

who are overweight has more than doubled, and the percentage of overweight adolescents 

has tripled. This rise affects children, adolescents, and adults of all ethnicities and income 

levels. 

Childhood obesity impacts health immediately and sets the stage for a number of health 

problems later in life. Type 2 diabetes is increasingly reported among children and 

adolescents who are obese.1 Adults who were obese as children have a higher risk of poor 

health and may be more likely to have diabetes and heart disease.2 They are often afflicted 

with poor self-esteem and have to fight stigma. These conditions can lead to depression and 

other emotional problems, as well as social isolation, and can prevent them from achieving 

their full potential. 

What is more, a poor diet combined with a lack of physical activity can negatively impact 

student concentration, performance, and motivation to learn. Research shows that there is a 

direct link between good nutrition and a child’s ability to learn, play, grow, and develop. Wellnourished children have higher test scores, better school attendance, and fewer behavioral 

problems. 

At the same time, nearly 17 million or 14.6% of children in the United States live in 

households that are food insecure. This means that at some point during the year, they simply 

did not get enough to eat. Often the foods that are least expensive have the least nutritional 

value as well as the highest calorie count. As a result of this discrepancy, many children and 

their families are left malnourished. Less expensive and highly processed foods are often 

the only option for many low-income families. These households often lack access to fresh 

produce, including farmers markets and community gardens. So, despite being hungry, many 

of these children also face the risk of obesity because they lack access to a balanced and 

nutritious diet. Additionally, many food pantries serving low-income neighborhoods 

lack resources for purchasing fresh foods, including produce, dairy products, and meat. 

These food pantries also lack facilities for handling, storing, and distributing fresh foods. 

1. “Overweight and Obesity: Additional Health Risks.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Web. 

http://www.cdc.gov/obesity/childhood/consequences.html 

8 | Let’s Move!		 2. “Childhood Overweight and Obesity.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Web. http://www.cdc. 

gov/obesity/childhood/index.html 
 

The Opportunity
	

Leaders in faith communities and neighborhood organizations have a unique and critical role to play in ending childhood obesity and 

hunger. These organizations are trusted in their communities and can motivate people to take action. The neighborhoods we live in 

teach us about healthy behavior and shape many of the ways we see health and success. 

More than 120 million people in the United States attend religious services regularly, providing opportunities for sharing information 

and organizing initiatives to combat malnutrition and obesity. Numerous community-based nonprofit and volunteer-driven 

organizations are also well-positioned to address the challenge of obesity among children and youth. 

Trusted leaders and members of faith communities and neighborhood-based organizations can contribute valuable resources, 

including people, buildings, kitchens, and land to projects that encourage children and their families to live healthier lifestyles. 

Leaders and members of congregations and community organizations – people like you – know their communities well and can 

communicate important health and nutrition information in motivating and effective ways. 

Solving the challenge of childhood obesity will take all of us – parents, faith-based and neighborhood organizations, state, local and 

tribal governments, schools and child care centers, health care facilities and businesses – working together. 

Action Items 

Faith-based and neighborhood organizations can help create a community of support by initiating, expanding, or coordinating 

activities described in the following menu of activities provided for each of the Let’s Move! pillars. For several of the activities, we 

have provided step-by-step guides to help you get started. 

Remember, you don’t have to do everything. Picking one or two activities that make sense for your community or organization, and 

that you feel you have the capacity to implement, will get you off to a good start. You can then build on success and choose more 

steps from the menu if you want to expand your efforts. 

Let’s Move! | 9
	
Before you begin...As trusted leaders in your city or 

town, you have the potential to create change beyond 

your congregation or community group. Meet with your 

local decision-makers (e.g., mayor, town administrator, 

city council or county commission member, parks and 

recreation director, city planner). Encourage them 

to sign your municipality up as a Let’s Move City or 

Town. Learn more about the lasting policy changes 

Let’s Move Cities and Towns are making at: 

http://www.letsmove.gov/officials-step-1.php. 

10 | Let’s Move!
	
Pillar 1: 

Healthy 

Choices 
• 

Healthy Choices
	

Parents and caregivers play a key role in making healthy choices and shaping lifelong healthy habits. Kids 

learn about healthy eating from their family and from what is served at home and in their community. Parents 

and community members can model healthy decisions about physical activity and nutrition. But in today’s 

busy world, figuring out the healthier choices isn’t always easy. Parents and caregivers need a community of 

support. Here are some ways faith-based and neighborhood organizations can provide that support: 

• Make Community Meals Healthier: Provide healthy selections, including fresh fruits and vegetables 

and whole grains, at community potlucks or meals. Work to limit portion size by using smaller plates and 

beverage containers or eliminating buffet-style meals. People do not usually notice differences in portion 

sizes and unknowingly eat larger amounts when presented with a larger portion. For more information on 

portion sizes, visit the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute at http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov and check 

out the We Can! Educational Campaign. 

• Motivational Groups: Challenge members of your community to form motivational groups for those 

who decide to change food buying or switch to healthy eating habits (see the step-by-step guide for 

information on how to get started). See “Pillar 3: Physical Activity” for some great ideas on how to form 

similar motivational groups around physical activity. 

• serve Healthy drinks and Water: Always have plenty of water around! For your body to function 

properly, you must replenish its water supply by consuming beverages and foods that contain water. If 

you have vending machines in your facility, replace offerings with water, 100% fruit juice, or low-fat or 

fat-free milk. You can use the Food Calculator to determine whether packaged snack foods are lower in 

fat, sodium, and added sugars by visiting http://healthymeals.nal.usda.gov/hsmrs/HUssC/calculator. 

html. 

• Community Cookbook: Create a community or congregational cookbook that features healthy, locally 

grown seasonal food (see the step-by-step guide for information on how to get started). 

open your Facility: Provide open access to your organization’s facilities such as large open green 

spaces (like lawns), gymnasiums, outdoor courts, recreation rooms, fellowship halls, and other meeting 

spaces for local school, afterschool programs or club teams or groups to increase youth opportunities for 

physical activity after school and on weekends. Concerned about the complications 

12 | Let’s Move!
	
 

• teach Healthy Living to Kids: Utilize youth education curriculum to communicate 

culturally appropriate health habits connected with the teachings in your community 

or faith tradition. Curriculum should assist young people to identify and prepare 

fruits and vegetables for meals, know and reduce their consumption of unhealthy 

foods, and participate in physical activity. 

• support New Mothers in Your Community: The majority of women initiate 

breastfeeding; however, many women indicate barriers to exclusively breastfeed 

for six months or to continue breastfeeding to one year. Support breastfeeding 

by establishing a lactation room on church grounds for staff and congregation 

members, having a breastfeeding friendly child care environment, and offering peer 

support groups for new moms (see the step-by-step guide for information on how 

to get started). 

• start a Community supported agriculture Club: Partner with local farmers 

and businesses to sponsor Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) clubs at your 

place of worship or organization. Subsidize CSA shares for families with limited 

resources. For an example of a CSA club, visit http://www.justfood.org/csa. 

of opening your facilities to the community? Develop a joint-use agreement to 

facilitate a partnership between your organization and other non-profit, private or 

governmental organizations in your community. This formal agreement can clarify 

and define shared responsibilities over maintenance, operations, ownership, 

liability and cost of your facilities. The following website offers a step-by-step guide 

on how to develop a joint-use agreement: http://www.jointuse.org. 

Let your kids serve themselves at 

dinner. Teach them to take small 

amounts at first. Tell them they can get 

more if they’re still hungry.1 

The USDA’s Healthy Eating Index 

shows that children 2 to 17 years old 

need to increase their consumption 

of whole fruit, whole grains, and dark 

green and orange vegetables and beans 

because they are consuming less than 

one-fifth of what they need from these 

food groups.2 

1. “FNS Core Nutrition Messages,” Core Nutrition Messages. Web. http://www.fns.usda.gov/fns/ 

corenutritionmessages/Files/AllMessages.pdf. 

2. “The Quality of Children’s Diets in 2003-04 as Measured by the Healthy Eating Index-2005: Nutrition 

Insight 43,” April 2009, USDA/CNPP. Web. http://www.cnpp.usda.gov/Publications/NutritionInsights/ 

Insight43.pdf. 

Let’s Move! | 13
	
Step-by-step guide
	

Motivational Groups: Challenge members to 

form motivational groups to focus on changing food 

buying or eating habits. 

Infants given breast milk are 22% less 

likely to be obese than infants given 

formula.1 

Healthy food choices are important for good health and well-being. Eating well 

means eating a variety of nutrient-rich foods and beverages from a variety of 

food groups and staying within your caloric needs. Providing healthy meals at 

home is easier when you know what to shop for and understand how to make 

healthy choices about the food you eat. Members in a motivational group 

can encourage each other to improve and maintain healthy food shopping 

strategies. For a template to fill in your weekly grocery list go to http://www. 

letsmove.gov/pdf/Grocery_List.pdf. For more information on the food 

pyramid, you can visit http://www.mypyramid.gov/ or call 1.888.7.PYraMid. 

What are some healthy food shopping tips that my motivational group 

can use? Grocery stores have thousands of products, with most food items 

grouped together to make your decision-making easier. Many grocery stores 

have sections where foods are shelved much like the food groups in the 

food pyramid (e.g., fruits, vegetables, dairy, and meat). The National Heart, 

Lung, and Blood Institute’s Obesity Guidelines say that healthy food shopping 

strategies focus on:Reading the nutrition facts labels as you shop; 

•		Paying attention to serving size, servings per container, and number of 

calories per serving; 

•		Using a shopping list; and 

•		Comparing the total calories in similar products and choosing the lowest 

calorie ones. 

What resources are available on how to shop for healthy foods that a 

motivational group could use? The U.S. Food and Drug Administration 

(FDA) has an interactive website that teaches you about the different parts 

Milk and other calcium-rich foods are 

key building blocks for strong, healthy 

bones. But more than 90% of girls and 

75% of boys ages 9 to 13 fail to get 

the recommended 1,300 milligrams of 

calcium per day.2 

1. “Breast Milk Associated With Greater Mental Development in Preterm Infants, Fewer Rehospitalizations,” October 1, 2007, National Institutes of Health (NIH), NIH News. Web. http://www.nih. 

gov/news/pr/oct2007/nichd-01.htm. 

14 | Let’s Move! 2. “Milk Matters Calcium Education Campaign” The National Institute of Child Health and Development. 

Web. http://www.nichd.nih.gov/milk/prob/critical.cfm. 
 

of a Nutrition Facts Label, such as serving size and calories, on packages of 

food. Please visit the website at http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/videos/ 

CFsaN/HWM/hwmsk01.cfm. 

• The U.S. Government’s nutrition website has information on shopping, 

cooking, and meal planning available in both English and Spanish. Please 

visit the website at http://www.nutrition.gov for more information or call 

the National Hunger Hotline at 1.866.348.6479. 

•		The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute’s website provides 

information on how to shop smart at the grocery store. For more 

information, please visit http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/ 

heart/obesity/wecan/eat-right/smart-food-shopping.htm or call 

301.592.8573. 

Step-by-step guide 

Community cookbook: Create a congregational 

or community cookbook that features healthy, 

locally grown food in season. 

Food is a fundamental part of the traditions and cultures that make up a 

community. In order to support your community in making healthy choices, try 

creating a community cookbook with your congregation or organization. 

What is a community cookbook? A community cookbook is a collection of 

recipes that reflects the cultures and traditions of a specific group. Recipes 

are submitted by members of the community and are bound together in 

one collective volume. Through this sharing, community cookbooks provide 

members with an abundance of healthy meals at their fingertips. 

What kinds of guidelines should a healthy community cookbook have? 

When selecting recipes for the community cookbook, you should make sure 

An NIH study found that maternal 

smoking during early pregnancy is 

associated with a greater risk of obesity 

by age 8.1 

Kids and teens that eat breakfast have 

more energy, do better in school, and 

eat healthier throughout the day. So 

make time for breakfast − for you and 

your kids!2 

1. Chen A, Pennell ML, Klebanoff MA, Rogan WJ, Longnecker MP. IJE Advance Access originally 

published online on October 31, 2005. Maternal smoking during pregnancy in relation to child

overweight: follow-up to age 8 years. International Journal of Epidemiology, 2006 35(1) : 121-30. 

2. “Childhood Overweight and Obesity Prevention Initiative” Office of the Surgeon General, Department Let’s Move! | 15 

of Health and Human Services. Web. http://www.surgeongeneral.gov/obesityprevention/parents.html. 
Salt is America’s favorite food 

ingredient. While a small amount of 

salt is necessary for good health, the 

amount in the typical American diet is 

a major cause of high blood pressure 

(hypertension). Cutting back on salt is a 

good idea for everybody, even kids.1 

Deep orange and dark green 

vegetables provide vitamin A, vitamin 

C, fiber, potassium, and many other 

nutrients. Whole foods, rather than 

supplements, are the best source of 

vitamins and minerals. 2 

they all focus around a common theme: being healthy! Below are guidelines 

suggested by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) for creating a 

healthful standard in any meal. When you follow these steps, the community 

cookbook will allow making healthy choices easier and more convenient and 

will take less timeEmphasize fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and fat-free or 

low-fat milk and milk products. 

Include lean meats, poultry, fish, beans, eggs, and nuts. 

Make sure the recipe is low in saturated fats, trans fats, cholesterol, salt 

(sodium), and added sugars. 

Here are some great internet resources to help you get started: 

Find a Farmers Market in your State: http://apps.ams.usda.gov/ 

FarmersMarkets/. 

Practice Seasonal Food Safety: http://www.fsis.usda.gov/fact_sheets/ 

seasonal_Food_safety_Fact_sheets/index.asp. 

Use the Comparative List of Low-Calorie, Lower Fat Alternatives to Everyday 

Ingredients: http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/heart/obesity/lose_wt/ 

lcal_fat.htm. 

Learn Great Tips on Food Shopping and Meal Planning: http://www.nutrition. 

gov. 

16 | Let’s Move!
	

1. “Salt and Sodium: Ten Tips to Cut Back,” Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion, U.S. Department 

of Agriculture. Web. http://www.mypyramid.gov/downloads/TenTips/SodiumTipSheet.pdf. 

2. “Eat Deep Orange and Dark Green Vegetables: 10 Tips to Choosing a Harvest of Colorful 

Vegetables,” USDA Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion (CNPP). Web. http://www.mypyramid.gov/ 

downloads/TenTips/ColorfulVegetablesTipsheet.pdf. 
 

Step-by-step guide 

Support New Mothers in Your Community: 

Support continued breastfeeding by providing peer 

support groups and supportive workplace, childcare 

and community environments. 

Breastfeeding optimally supports infant growth and development and protects 

mothers’ and infants’ health. This protection increases with more months 

of breastfeeding and is strongest when babies receive no foods and fluids 

other than breast milk for the first six months of life. Studies have found that 

breastfed babies are less likely to develop ear infections or to be obese in later 

life than those not breastfed. Support from family, friends, health care workers, 

employers and the larger community (e.g., allowing breastfeeding in public 

and private places, use of mother’s breast milk in child care centers) can help 

mothers meet their breastfeeding goals in today’s busy world. 

How can we support breastfeeding in our community? There are many 

ways to support mothers to breastfeed and make it easier for them to do so. In 

addition to providing secure, enclosed and comfortable areas where mothers 

can nurse, communities can host breastfeeding peer support groups to help 

parents overcome barriers to breastfeeding and receive helpful instruction and 

tips. 

How can a community organize breastfeeding peer support groups? A 

good way to begin organizing a breastfeeding peer support group is to identify 

breastfeeding experts in your community who would be willing to lead or 

present to the group. You can also identify experienced moms who are willing 

to share their stories with your group. Then you can reach out to WIC clinics 

and maternity care facilities and advertise the availability of the group. There 

are two groups of breastfeeding experts who you can engage with your group: 

Lactation Consultant – This person is a credentialed breastfeeding 

professional with the highest level of knowledge and skill in breastfeeding 

Young people (79%) do not eat the 

recommended five servings of fruit and 

vegetables each day. Finding creative 

ways to encourage fruits and vegetables 

in your child’s diet can be fun for the 

whole family!1 

Since children grow at different rates 

at different times, it is not always easy 

to tell whether a child is overweight. 

Your health care provider can measure 

your child’s height and weight and tell 

you whether your child is at a healthy 

weight and what you can do to help.2 

1. “Steps to Healthier US − Prevention Portfolio − Prevention Strategies That W ork.“ Healthier US.gov Home 

Page. Web. http://www.healthierus.gov/steps/summit/prevportfolio/strategies/addressing/school/critical.htm. 

2. “Helping Your Overweight Child,” January 2008, WIN − The Weight-control Information Network, National 

Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK). Web. http://win.niddk.nih.gov/publications/ 

over_child.htm. 

Let’s Move! | 17
	
Kids don’t always take to new foods 

right away. Offer new fruits and 

veggies many times. Give them 

a taste at first and be patient with 

them.1 

Offer your children new foods. 

Then, let them choose how much 

to eat. Kids are more likely to enjoy 

a food when eating it is their own 

choice. It also helps them learn to be 

independent.2 

support. Many lactation consultants are also nurses, doctors, dietitians, or 

other kinds of health professionals. Ask your local hospital or birthing center 

for the name of a lactation consultant who can help develop breastfeeding 

support programs. For more information, you can visit the “Find a Lactation 

Consultant” Directory at http://www.ilca.org or call 1.888.iLCa.isU 

(452.2478). 

Breastfeeding Peer Counselor or Educator – A breastfeeding counselor 

can teach others about the benefits of breastfeeding and can help women with 

breastfeeding challenges and questions. A “peer” means a person who has 

breastfed her own baby and is available to help other mothers. You can find a 

peer counselor with the Special Supplemental Program for Women, Infants, 

and Children (WIC) by visiting http://www.fns.usda.gov/wic/Contacts/coor. 

htm or by calling the National Hunger Hotline at 1.866.348.6479. Peer 

counselors can also be found through La Leche League’s Peer Counselor 

Program at http://www.llli.org. Some breastfeeding educators have letters 

after their names like CLC (Certified Lactation Consultant) or CBE (Certified 

Breastfeeding Educator). 

What resources are available for mothers interested in breastfeeding 

their child? The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS’) 

Office on Women’s Health hosts a breastfeeding helpline with trained peer 

counselors and website to help mothers with common breastfeeding problems 

and challenges. Breastfeeding Peer Counselors are available to answer 

emails and assist callers with questions and concerns. These counselors 

answer questions in English and Spanish Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. 

to 6 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (1.800.994.9662 and TDD 1.888.220.5446). 

Information is available 24 hours a day on the HHS Office on Women’s 

Health website located at http://www.womenshealth.gov/breastfeeding/. 

Pregnant and lactating women may also qualify for the Special Supplemental 

Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) that provides food and 

nutritional counseling to encourage mothers to breastfeed their children. 

For more information on WIC, visit http://www.fns.usda.gov/wic or call 

1.866.348.6479. 

1. “FNS Core Nutrition Messages,” Core Nutrition Messages. Web. http://www.fns.usda.gov/fns/ 

corenutritionmessages/Files/AllMessages.pdf. 

2. “Messages for Preschool Moms,” December 2008, USDA/FNS. Web. http://www.fns.usda.gov/fns/ 

corenutritionmessages/Files/MomsofPreschoolers_Message.pdf 18 | Let’s Move! . 
 

the HHs office of Women’s Health also has the following breastfeeding 

resources available: 

An Easy Guide to Breast Feeding: 

http://www.womenshealth.gov/pub/BF.General.pdf 

An Easy Guide to Breast Feeding for African American Women: 

http://www.womenshealth.gov/pub/BF.aa.pdf 

An Easy Guide to Breast Feeding for American Indian and Alaska Native Families: 

http://www.womenshealth.gov/pub/BF.aiaN.pdf 

The HHS Centers for Disease Control and Prevention invests in breastfeeding as a 

strategy to improve infant dietary quality, and to prevent obesity and other chronic 

diseases. Information is available at http://www.cdc.gov/breastfeeding/resources/ 

guide.htm. 

2010 Breastfeeding report Card 

The CDC Breastfeeding Report Card provides state-by-state data so that health 

professionals, legislators, employers, business owners, community advocates, and 

family members can work together to protect, promote, and support breastfeeding. 

The Report Card indicators measure types of support in key community settings 

as well as the most current data on the breastfeeding goals outlined in Healthy 

People 2010. For more information, visit http://www.cdc.gov/breastfeeding/data/ 

reportcard.htm. 

Let’s Move! | 19
	
 

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Notes:
	

What resources are available on creating a breastfeeding friendly 

workplace? HHS’ Office on Women’s Health and the Health Resources and 

Services Administration (HRSA) have partnered to produce the toolkit, The 

Business Case for Breastfeeding. This comprehensive program is designed 

to educate employers about the value of supporting breastfeeding employees 

in the workplace. The Business Case for Breastfeeding offers tools to help 

employers provide worksite lactation support and privacy for breastfeeding 

mothers and offers guidance to employees on breastfeeding and working. 

Resources to help lactation specialists and health professionals to educate 

employers in their communities are also available. To get more information 

and to order a free kit, visit http://www.womenshealth.gov/breastfeeding/ 

programs/business-case/. 

20 | Let’s Move!
	
Pillar 2: 

Healthy 

Schools 
Healthy Schools
	

Many children consume at least half of their daily calories at school. As families work to ensure our kids eat 

right and have active play at home, we also need to ensure our children have access to healthy food and 

opportunities to be physically active in their schools. Because over 95% of young people are enrolled in 

schools, the school setting can offer multiple opportunities for students to engage in physical activity, such as 

physical education classes, recess periods for unstructured play in elementary schools, afterschool programs, 

intramural sports programs, and physical activity clubs. These opportunities are particularly important because 

they are accessible to all students, including those who are not athletically gifted and those with special health 

care needs. 

With more than 31 million children participating in the National School Lunch Program and more than 11 

million participating in the National School Breakfast Program, good nutrition at school is more important than 

ever. It is our nation’s largest feeding program. Let’s Move! to get healthier food in our nation’s schools. 

Faith-based and neighborhood organizations can work with schools to help students adopt healthy lifestyles 

by providing information and practical strategies. Here are some action step suggestions: 

• Partner with a school: Work with your organization or congregation to partner with a school or Local 

Education Agency (LEA) or other community-based agencies to promote healthy living and physical 

activities in the school and community (see the step-by-step guide for information on how to get started). 

• Healthier Us school Challenge: Identify strategies to support local schools in the HealthierUS School 

Challenge. The Challenge is a certification program that recognizes schools that take specific steps to 

improve their school environment by providing physical education classes, serving healthy foods, and 

teaching nutrition. For information on the Challenge, visit http://www.fns.usda.gov/tn/healthierus/index. 

html or call 1.866.348.6479. 

• school salad Bars: Help your local school install a salad bar in its cafeteria to offer children a healthy 

alternative for lunch. The Let’s Move Salad Bars To Schools initiative provides information on the benefits 

of school salad bars and can assist with fundraising to purchase salad bars. For more information on the 

initiative, visit http://www.saladbars2schools.org. 

22 | Let’s Move!
	
• school Meal Programs: Encourage eligible families to enroll their children 

in school meal programs. Students may be eligible for free or reduced-priced 

breakfasts and lunches based upon family income levels. Please call the National 

Hunger Hotline at 1.866.348.6479 for more information. 

• start a Farmers Market: Work with others in your community to start a farmers 

market at your facilities or at a local school site. Volunteering to set up or break 

down a farmers market is also a good source of physical activity for teens (see the 

step-by-step guide for information on how to get started). 

• increase opportunities for Physical activity: Work with local schools to 

increase opportunities for students to enjoy physical activity, including those 

students who are not athletically inclined. For more information, visit http://www. 

cdc.gov/healthyyouth/keystrategies/index.htm. 

• Child and adult Care Food Program: If your organization provides child day 

care services, or operates afterschool care programs, it may be eligible to receive 

reimbursement for nutritious meals and snacks served to children who are enrolled 

for care through the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP). Participating 

institutions must be licensed or approved to provide day care services. For more 

information on this program, please visit http://www.fns.usda.gov/cnd/care or 

call 1.866.348.6479. 

• BackPack Program: Partner with your local food banks to support a local 

BackPack Program to provide children with healthy food options when they are not 

at school. The BackPack Program gives hungry children food to take home on the 

weekends or during school vacations. For information on the BackPack Program, 

please visit http://feedingamerica.org/our-network/network-programs/ 

backpack-program.aspx. 

• Walk/Bike to school: Organize parents to walk or bike with their children to 

school in walking school buses and rolling bike trains once a month or once a 

week. For more ideas, check out the Safe Routes to School Center at http://www. 

saferoutesinfo.org/. 

The average child drinks at least 20 

ounces of soda pop each day. Because 

each soda on average contains one-third 

of a cup of sugar, this amounts to drinking 

53 pounds of sugar a year!1 

While 90 percent of schools offer 

students the opportunity to select a 

healthful meal, meals that meet all 

nutrition standards are usually chosen 

in only 6% to 7% of schools.2 

1. “Portion Distortion and Serving Size,” We Can!, National Heart Lung and Blood Institute. Web. http://
	

www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/heart/obesity/wecan/eat-right/distortion.htm.
	

2. “Healthy Meals, Healthy Schools, Healthy Kids,” April 2007, USDA School Meals. Web. http://www.fns.
	

usda.gov/cga/FactSheets/school_meals.pdf. Let’s Move! | 23
	
• Healthy Living Club: Create a healthy living club to facilitate health programming 

in schools and in the community. Assess healthy eating and physical activity 

policies as well as programs that are currently offered and establish a plan to work 

towards creating a healthier environment for children (see the step-by-step guide 

for information on how to get started). 

Step-by-step guide 

Partner with a School: Have your organization 

or congregation partner with a school, local 

education agency (lea), or other community-based 

agency. 

How do we move from talking to action? Work within your organization and 

with leaders identified by the school to identify effective strategies that your 

organization can help support within the school or the LEA. Consider some 

of the following activities that you could potentially implement through this 

partnership: 

• incorporate physical activity into afterschool programs and physical 

activity breaks into classes held both at school and at your community 

organization or congregation. 

• offer intramural sports and physical activity clubs that are open to 

students and school staff, regardless of skill or athletic ability, at your 

organization or congregation. 

• offer healthy cooking classes for local parents. Create a newsletter to 

educate parents and students on healthy living. 

• Partner with local health organizations to provide free health education 

and health screenings (e.g., blood pressure) to the school and faith-based 

community. 

24 | Let’s Move!
	
 

• Provide local school access to build a garden on the congregation site 

or build a garden on the school property. 

• Help local schools raise funds for a salad bar in the school cafeteria to 

provide children with more fruits and vegetables for lunch. 

• Create a wellness club for teachers with volunteer instructors from the 

congregation. 

• Provide resources (e.g., volunteer time, equipment, and transportation) 

to schools to implement physical activity and healthy eating programs. 

• encourage schools to implement the nutritional standards for 

schools recommended by the Institute of Medicine for foods sold 

outside of school meals. Please visit http://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/ 

nutrition/pdf/nutrition_factsheet_schools.pdf for information. 

• Beyond the school, are there other groups we can work with 

to support healthy schools? In the spirit of Let’s Move!, create a 

community network to provide resources for the school district to provide 

multiple healthy living options: 

• We Can! Communities – Visit the Energize Our Community! Toolkit at 

http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/heart/obesity/wecan_mats/ 

toolkit.pdf. 

•		Identify farmers and local grocers. 

•		Promote and encourage physical activity among nine- to 13-year-olds 

using the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) colorful 

materials and contests (http://www.cdc.gov/verb). 

Let’s Move! | 25
	
Step-by-step guide
	

Start a farmers market: at a local school.
	

How does an organization create a weekly farmers market for students 

and parents at a local school? Start by exploring several factors in running 

the farmers market, such as: 

•		Food sources for the farmers market; 

•		Duration of the farmers market, including dates and days the market will 

be open; 

•		Creation of a staffing plan for the farmers market, including who are the 

necessary liaisons to the community, school, and farmers. Consider 

recruiting student volunteers for tasks such as set-up and break down, as 

this is a good source of physical activity; 

•		Funding sources for the farmers market; 

•		Other interested congregation or community partners who can 

collaborate; 

• identification of potential sites for the market; and 

•		Creation of an outreach campaign that brings shoppers to the market. 

How do we leverage community partnerships for this activity? A great 

farmers market does not only attract students and parents from the school 

but other people in the community. Local sports teams can volunteer at the 

farmers market or you can partner with other large community groups focused 

on healthy living practices and eating. If you are in an urban center, you could 

consider partnering with distributors to bring produce from rural areas. 

26 | Let’s Move!
	
 

For more information, the USDA provides further valuable guidance on 

how to start a farmers market at http://www.ams.usda.gov/aMsv1.0/ 

FarMersMarKets. For information related to legal and policy 

considerations related to this and other recommendations, consider resources 

available through the National Policy and Legal analysis Network to 

Prevent Childhood obesity at http://www.nplanonline.org/. 

Step-by-step guide 

Healthy living club: Create a healthy living club 

or partner with student groups at the school. 

How do we get started? Identify all interested students from a local 

organization or congregation. Also, you can connect with a student group at 

the school. We recommend engaging student and/or youth leaders to get their 

input and ownership. 

How can young people get community service credit? You will need to 

work with your LEA or school system to determine whether students can 

receive credit for community service activities. 

What are some community service projects youth should consider? Be 

sure to find out what young people want to do, but you can start by providing 

them with some project ideas. Encourage youth to consider ideas that not only 

have them being active but that also encourage other young people in the 

community or at the school to be active as well. Here are a few activities that 

could start the brainstorming session with young people: 

• Celebrate Walk to school Month in october. The website http://www. 

walktoschool.org/eventideas/index.cfm has a number of activities a 

community can adopt in celebration of our mobility. But don’t just move in 

October! Designate a day once a week or once a month to walk to school 

and walk to your place of worship. 

Let’s Move! | 27
	
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Notes: • Partner with other organizations to hold a healthy living week. 

Promote the week and hold activities in local places that young people 

frequent in the community. 

• Hold a recipe contest and challenge young people to create healthy 

recipes for traditional meals. 

• set a physical activity goal – like walking to another state, country or 

continent – and log the miles walked by members of the community with a 

prize at the end. 

• offer intramural sports or physical activity clubs that are accessible 

to all community members, regardless of skill or ability. 

• educate community members (e.g., senior citizens) on maintaining a 

healthy lifestyle. 

• volunteer in a local soup kitchen to produce healthy meals. 

What are some things that could help this process be a success for 

everyone involved? Remember that students like to create their own ideas 

that promote social interaction. Many young people develop a commitment 

to service at a young age; therefore, they will want to take leadership in 

the activities. Work with school health councils to coordinate school and 

community activities. Work with youth to incorporate social media into the 

planning and promotion of the event. 

28 | Let’s Move!
	
Pillar 3: 

Physical 

Activity 
Physical Activity
	

Being physically active is just as important to health as eating right. Children need 60 minutes of active play 

every day to grow up to a healthy weight. If this sounds like a lot, consider that eight- to 18-year-olds devote 

an average of seven-and-a-half hours to using entertainment media including TV, computers, video games, 

cell phones, and movies in a typical day. Only one-third of high school students get the recommended levels of 

physical activity. 

To increase physical activity, children need physical education, safe routes to walk and ride their bikes to 

school, parks, and access to playgrounds and community centers. Children need access to sports leagues 

and dance or fitness programs that are exciting and challenging to keep them engaged. Let’s Move! to 

increase opportunities for kids to be physically active, both in school and in communities and to create new 

opportunities for families to be physically active together. 

In addition to being fun, regular physical activity strengthens bones and muscles, increases self-esteem, and 

provides many other health benefits. Physical activity, along with eating healthy foods, can help children live 

healthier lives and perform better in school. 

Congregations and neighborhood organizations can help our children get the physical activity they need in 

many ways. Here are some ideas: 

• President’s active Lifestyle Challenge: Help children participate in the Presidential Active Lifestyle 

Award by hosting the challenge within your organization (see the step-by-step guide for information on 

how to get started). Sign up at http://www.letsmove.gov. 

• support Community sports: Support or start a community sports league, intramural sport or physical 

activity club that is accessible to all community members, regardless of skill, ability, or financial resources. 

This is especially critical in locations with no school-supported athletic or physical activity programs. 

• safe routes to Walk and Bike in your Communities: Walk and bike with kids to school, shopping and 

places of worship. The National Center for Safe Routes to Schools provides more information at http:// 

www.saferoutesinfo.org/ (see the step-by-step guide for information on how to get started). 

30 | Let’s Move!
	
 

• organize active events: Create a physical activity club in your congregation or 

community center. Organize a walk, dance, bike-a-thon, 5K, field day, fun run, 

relay race, or come up with your own active event ideas. See this helpful resource: 

http://www.fns.usda.gov/tn/resources/popularevents.pdf. 

• Promote recreational Facilities: Partner with other local community centers and 

schools to promote the use of recreation facilities, gymnasiums, playing fields, and 

playgrounds and classes, especially if your organization lacks these resources. 

You can develop joint use agreements to facilitate these partnerships. For more 

information, visit http://www.phlpnet.org/healthy-planning/products/joint_use_ 

toolkit. 

• support or start a BodyWorks Program in your Community: BodyWorks is 

designed to teach active and healthy lifestyle habits to adolescents and families 

and to help them eat right and accumulate 30 to 60 minutes of physical activity per 

day. For more information on BodyWorks, visit http://www.womenshealth.gov/ 

BodyWorks/index.cfm or call 202.401.9588. 

• Participate in a CroP Hunger Walk to raise awareness about hunger and 

money for hunger-related causes, both locally and around the world. For 

more information, please visit http://www.churchworldservice.org/site/ 

Pageserver?pagename=crop_main or call 1.888.CWs.CroP. 

Step-by-step guide 

PALA: Participate in and encourage members 

to participate in the Presidential Active Lifestyle 

Award.
	

Unfortunately, budget cuts in many schools have led to physical activity 

classes and afterschool sports being lost in some areas. But faith-based and 

neighborhood organizations can help to keep our kids healthy and active by 

engaging members in the President’s Active Lifestyle Award. For information 

Adolescents who participate in 

physical education at school are more 

likely to maintain a normal weight as 

young adults.1 

1. ”What Causes Overweight and Obesity?” National Heart Lung and Blood Institute. Web. http://www. 

nhlbi.nih.gov/health/dci/Diseases/obe/obe_causes.htm 

Let’s Move! | 31
	
Be a role model. Children who see 

parents enjoying healthy foods and 

being physically active are more likely 

to do the same.1 

Balance what you eat with physical 

activity. Eating healthier foods is 

important, but we all need to be 

physically active – at least 60 minutes 

for kids and 30 minutes for adults 

every day or most days of the week.2 

and to sign up, visit http://www.letsmove.gov. 

What is the President’s active Lifestyle award? The President’s Active 

Lifestyle Award is part of the President’s Physical Fitness Challenge. It is a 

challenge for both children and adults to build healthy habits by committing 

to regular physical activity five days a week, for six weeks. Everyone can 

participate and you don’t need to be an Olympic athlete. You can walk, bike, 

run, or garden. As long as children are active 60 minutes a day and adults 

30 minutes a day, you are on your way to receiving your award. 

Why should a community or faith-based organization encourage 

participation in the active Lifestyle award? Community groups possess 

a number of unique resources and characteristics that make them ideal for 

promoting the Active Lifestyle Award. First, faith-based and neighborhood 

organizations create a social support network for individuals, couples, 

families, and friends to come together and work toward the common goal 

of incorporating physical activity into daily life. Second, community groups 

often have the facilities available to host physical activity programs or 

events. 

What are the steps involved in the active Lifestyle program? The Active 

Lifestyle Award is easy and fun. It consists of only four simple steps and can 

be tailored to activities that suit the group or individual’s needs. 

step one: Choose an activity. 

step two: Get active. 

step three: track your activity. 

step Four: order your award! 

Visit http://www.letsmove.gov for more details about each step. 

What kind of activities count toward the active Lifestyle award? When 

taking part in the Active Lifestyle Award, you’ll be surprised how much fun it 

actually is. The program supports both traditional activities, such as walking, 

32 | Let’s Move!
	

1. “Parents and Caregivers Checklist.” Childhood Obesity Prevention Initiative, Office of the Surgeon 

General, Department of Health and Human Services. Web. http://www.surgeongeneral.gov/ 

obesityprevention/pledges/parents.html. 

2. “A Healthier You − Chapter 9. The Balancing Act: Food and Physical Activity.” Web. http://www.health. 

gov/dietaryguidelines/dga2005/healthieryou/html/chapter9.html. 
 

cycling, aerobics, and organized sports, as well as innovative activities like 

sledding, fishing, and dancing. For more ideas, there is a list on the website 

of almost 100 different activities in which you and others can participate. For 

more ideas on activities, visit the website of Up2Us, a national coalition of 

Sports-Based Youth Development organizations, at http://www.up2us.org/ 

or call 212.563.3031. Also, the California Department of Education maintains 

an afterschool physical activity website with fun activity ideas (http://www. 

afterschoolpa.com). 

Step-by-step guide 

Safe routes to walk and bike in your 

communities: Ensure that children have safe 

routes to walk and bike through your communities. 

Many communities have experienced a decline in walking and bicycling. 

13 percent of children age five to 14 walk or bike to school, down from 44 

percent of students in 1969. Parents often cite safety issues as reasons for not 

allowing children to walk or bike to school. However, children who walk or bike 

to school report being more physically active than those who travel by bus, 

car, or train. 

What can my organization do to help ensure the safety of pedestrians 

and cyclists? There are a number of ways that community groups can be 

involved in the following activities: 

roUte MaPPiNG 

First, identify a focused area surrounding schools and map the routes that 

children currently take to school. 

Walk the routes in groups and identify safety issues, using the checklist found 

at http://www.nhtsa.gov/people/injury/pedbimot/bike/safe-routes-2004/ 

images/walkingchecklist.pdf. 

Let’s Move! | 33
	
Involve the students and have them map the routes themselves. Those who 

walk and ride regularly are already familiar with their streets, whereas those 

who do not will begin to learn about their neighborhood. 

Working with local government staff, develop an improvement plan for 

addressing such safety issues as speeding cars, dangerous intersections, 

and missing or ineffective crosswalks, sidewalks, and bike lanes. Check 

out the Safe Routes to School organizing manual for ideas: http://www. 

saferoutesinfo.org/guide/steps/index.cfm. 

esCort ProGraMs 

Recruit adult volunteers who can accompany children to school, stopping 

at designated locations where children can join the group at prearranged 

times, often called walking school buses. This is a great way for seniors to get 

involved. Consider working with Senior Corps (http://www.seniorcorps.gov) 

to create a formal program. 

Encourage school districts to place crossing guards at particularly dangerous 

crossings. 

Have volunteers act as monitors on the street in urban areas where crime is a 

major concern. 

What are some ways that my organization can promote a safe routes 

program? It takes time to develop new approaches and attitudes regarding 

transportation. 

Be sure to reintroduce your program every year at the beginning of the school 

year by doing some of the following: 

Notify families and parents about the program and its benefits. 

Participate in international Walk to school day held every October (for 

more information, visit http://www.walktoschool.org/). 

inform your community about the work you are doing through press releases 

and newsletter articles. 

34 | Let’s Move!
	
 

Keep your school community up-to-date on the latest street improvements. 

Every new success builds increased support for the program. 

Keep measuring your success through new surveys. The greatest 

satisfaction comes from seeing the increase in the number of children walking 

and biking to school and the reduction of cars entering the school grounds. 

Use existing toolkits to start your own program. Many schools and 

communities have already started walk and bike to school programs. Look 

at existing toolkits and see what will work in your community. For more 

information, visit http://www.saferoutesinfo.org/resources/programdevelopment_toolkits.cfm. 

Where should i go for more information? Each state has a Bicycle and 

Pedestrian Coordinator in its State Department of Transportation to promote 

and facilitate the increased use of non-motorized transportation, including 

developing facilities for the use of pedestrians and bicyclists and public 

educational, promotional, and safety programs for using such facilities. 

For contact information for your State coordinator, please visit http://www. 

walkinginfo.org/assistance/contacts.cfm. 

You can visit the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Safe Routes to School 

Toolkit at http://www.nhtsa.gov/people/injury/pedbimot/bike/saferoutes-2002/overview.html#4 for additional information on creating walk and 

bike programs in your community. You can also check out KidsWalk-to-School, 

a guide from HHS to help communities promote walking to school, at http:// 

www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/kidswalk. 

safe routes to school Partnership – www.saferoutespartnership.org 

The Safe Routes to School National Partnership is a network of more than 

500 nonprofit organizations, government agencies, schools, and professionals 

working together to advance the Safe Routes to School (SRTS) movement in 

the United States. SRTS can provide a variety of important benefits to children 

and their communities, including increasing physical activity, reducing traffic 

congestion, improving air quality, and enhancing neighborhood safety. 

A regular routine of at least 30 to 45 

minutes of fast walking, bicycling, or 

working around the house or yard will 

reduce the risk of coronary heart disease, 

hypertension, colon cancer, and diabetes!1 

Studies show a link between screen time 

and obesity, so set limits on your child’s 

TV-watching, gaming, and Web surfing. 

Experts recommend no more than two 

hours per day.2 

1. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “Notice to 

Readers: Publication of Surgeon General’s Report On Physical Activity and Health,” Morbidity and Mortality 

Weekly Report, 45(27), 591-592, July 12, 1996. http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/00042984.htm. 

2. “Reduce Screen Time.” We Can! National Heart Lung and Blood Institute. Web. http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/ 

health/public/heart/obesity/wecan/reduce-screen-time/index.htm. 

Let’s Move! | 35
	
Notes: National Center for safe routes to school – 

www.saferoutesinfo.org ________________________________________________________ 

Established in May 2006, the National Center for Safe Routes to 

School assists communities in enabling and encouraging children 

to safely walk and bike to school. The Center strives to equip Safe 

Routes to School programs with the knowledge and technical 

information to implement safe and successful strategies. 

________________________________________________________ 

________________________________________________________ 

________________________________________________________ 

The National Center for Safe Routes to School is maintained by 

the University of North Carolina Highway Safety Research Center 

with funding from the U.S. Department of Transportation Federal 

Highway Administration. 

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36 | Let’s Move!
	
Pillar 4: 

Affordable 

and Accessible Food 
Affordable and Accessible Food
	

More than 23 million Americans, including six-and-a-half million children, live in low-income urban and 

rural neighborhoods that are more than one mile from the closest supermarket. These communities, 

where access to affordable, quality, and nutritious foods is limited, are known as “food deserts.” In these 

communities, people either don’t have regular access to grocery stores that sell healthy foods such as fresh 

fruit and vegetables, or if they do, these items are too expensive. 

Lack of access to proper nutrition is one reason many people, including children, do not get recommended 

levels of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. Food insecurity and hunger among our children is even 

more widespread. Let’s Move! to ensure that all families have access to healthy, affordable food in their 

communities. 

In our effort to fight obesity in children and adolescents, it is important that we focus on increasing access 

to healthy and affordable foods. Here are some ways that faith-based and neighborhood organizations can 

play an important role in providing access to affordable and healthy food options: 

• organize a Food Pantry: Partner with your local food bank to host a food pantry with healthy food 

options at your organization or congregation. Visit Feeding America at http://www.feedingamerica.org/ 

foodbank-results.aspx to find the food bank closest to you or call 1.800.771.2303. 

• Host a Farmers Market: Host a local farmers market at your place of worship or organization, and 

advocate for hosts to accept Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits. For information 

on SNAP benefits, visit http://www.fns.usda.gov/snap/ or call the sNaP Hotline at 1.800.221.5689. 

• supplemental Nutrition assistance Program: Help people in your congregation or community sign up 

for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) that provides more purchasing power at the 

grocery story (see the step-by-step guide for information on how to get started). 

• Women, infants and Children (WiC): Promote participation in the Special Supplemental Nutrition 

Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) in an outreach effort to pregnant women/new mothers. 

For information on WIC, please visit http://www.fns.usda.gov/wic/ or call 1.866.348.6479. 

• summer Food service Program: Your organization can help children in low-income areas get the 

nutrition they need to learn, play, and grow throughout the summer months when they are out of school. 

38 | Let’s Move!
	
 

You can do this by participating as a sponsor or a feeding site that receives 

reimbursements for serving meals and snacks through the Summer Food 

Service Program (SFSP). For more information on this program, please visit 

http://www.fns.usda.gov/CNd/summer/ or call 1.866.348.6479.
	

• start a Community Garden: Donate land at your house of worship to 

community members without their own space to grow food or start a 

congregational garden. Create and cultivate vegetable gardens as healthy 

eating educational tools. Community gardening is also a great way for kids to get 

exercise and spend time outdoors (see the step-by-step guide for information on 

how to get started). 

• Hold a healthy food drive: Start a local produce exchange table for your 

congregation or community organization, or hold a food drive and encourage 

donations of healthy food items. Teach others about preserving local food by 

organizing canning and preserving sessions at your congregation, organization, 

or in homes of members. The National Center for Home Food Preservation has 

detailed information on canning and preserving at http://www.uga.edu/nchfp/ 

publications/publications_usda.html. 

• Gleaning Program: Encourage participation in a gleaning program that harvests 

and donates nutritious food left behind in fields because of the high cost of 

harvesting it and low market price. For an example of a gleaning program, 

please visit http://www.endhunger.org/ or call 1.800.333.4597. 

• start a Csa Club: Partner with local farmers to start a Community Supported 

Agriculture (CSA) club at your organization or place of worship. Subsidize CSA 

shares for families with limited resources. 

Let’s Move! | 39
	
 

An NIH-funded study found that the 

addition of one supermarket to a 

community increased people’s fruit 

and vegetable consumption by 32%.1 

In 2008, 16.7 million children did not 

get enough to eat; they had to cut 

the size of their meals, skip meals, or 

even go whole days without food at 

some time during the year.2 

Step-by-step guide 

Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program 

(SNAP): Help people in your congregation or 

community sign up for SNAP. SNAP is the new name 

for the Federal Food Stamp Program. Your State 

may use a different name, but it is still the same 

program. 

With SNAP benefits, low-income individuals and families can purchase 

healthier food, such as fruits and vegetables, whole grain foods, and dairy 

products. Food stamp benefits also bring Federal dollars to your community 

that can help the local economy. 

What is sNaP? SNAP helps low-income people and families buy the 

food they need for good health. You can apply for benefits by completing 

a State application form at http://www.fns.usda.gov/snap/applicant_ 

recipients/10steps.htm or get more information by calling the sNaP Hotline 

at 1.800.221.5689. Benefits are provided on an electronic benefits card 

(known as an EBT card) that is used like an ATM card and accepted at most 

grocery stores. 

How can my congregation help people apply for sNaP? Form an outreach 

group with a goal of helping eligible congregants sign up for SNAP. Train staff 

and volunteers at your congregation or organization with basic information 

about SNAP and how to apply. Have an information table before and after 

services where volunteers help eligible congregants apply for SNAP. Your local 

SNAP office can partner with you and help provide training and materials. To 

locate your local SNAP office, visit http://www.fns.usda.gov/snap/outreach/ 

map.htm or call the sNaP Hotline at 1.800.221.5689. 

How can we let people know about the program? Consider displaying 

SNAP posters, flyers, magnets, and other materials in your place of worship 

40 | Let’s Move!
	

1. Williamson, David. “Nearness of Supermarkets Boosts People’s Intake of Nutritious Fruits and 

Vegetables, Study Reveals,” The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Web. http://www.unc.edu/ 

news/archives/nov02/wing110102.html. 

2. “Food Security in the United States: Key Statistics and Graphics.” Economic Research Service, United 

States Department of Agriculture. Web. http://www.ers.usda.gov/Briefing/FoodSecurity/stats_graphs.htm. 
 

or organization. You can order these free materials from the U.S. Department 

of Agriculture (USDA) at http://snap.ntis.gov/. Put SNAP information in all 

bulletins, newsletters, and other print and electronic items shared with the 

congregation or community. If your organization manages a food pantry, 

include SNAP information with food that you distribute. 

How can we support healthier food choices? Host a nutritious food tasting, 

cooking demonstration, or health fair at your place of worship. Give out 

recipe cards that also include information about SNAP. Check out the SNAP 

recipe finder for more ideas at http://recipefinder.nal.usda.gov/ or by calling 

1.866.348.6479. 

are sNaP materials available in spanish? Yes! SNAP materials can be 

ordered or downloaded in Spanish from the USDA at http://snap.ntis.gov. 

Step-by-step guide 

Start a community garden 

Get others involved! It is not a community garden without a COMMUNITY! 

Invite various groups, associations, and people in your congregation or 

community to help get the garden started. Involve young people (especially atrisk young people) as participants in the garden. Consider devoting a portion 

of the garden to cultivation by members of afterschool groups such as Boys 

and Girls Clubs of America. Gardening is a great way for children and teens to 

get their daily physical exercise and spend time outdoors. 

Find the land: Look for a vacant spot that gets plenty of sun (at least six 

hours a day), is located near a water source, and has good drainage. The 

site should have soil that is free of trash and debris. Once you find potential 

sites, visit your local tax assessor or local government office to find out who 

owns the land. Consider partnering with government agencies to provide land 

for a garden. The National Park Service, for example, allows groups to form 

community gardens in parks. Try consulting with other community gardens in 

the area to find out how they obtained their site and got started. 

Let’s Move! | 41
	
Work out the logistics: After finding the site, contact the land owner or 

government agency to: 

• ask for permission to put a community garden plot there; 

• explain the benefit of the garden to the community and the environment; 

• sign a lease that includes the terms of agreement for use of the site; 

• include a “hold harmless” waiver so that the land owner will not have to 

worry about injuries incurred at the site; and 

• obtain a multi-year lease to ensure the continuation of your garden to 

future seasons. 

Each gardener should sign a gardener’s agreement that includes a hold 

harmless waiver and commits to upkeep of the plot and the garden throughout 

the year. Landowners can also obtain liability insurance as added protection. 

design the garden: When designing a garden, consider: 

• individual plots for participants to help ensure dedicated participation; 

• Plot size, especially if the planting beds are raised, which should be 

narrow enough to access plantings from all sides without having to stand 

in the plot; 

• Factors such as irrigation, a tool shed for shared tools and supplies, 

and a fence around the perimeter if you anticipate problems with wildlife; 

• a communal compost area to turn excess green matter into free 

fertilizer;
	

• Posting a garden sign that displays partners and participants and a 

community bulletin board to share your garden with interested passersby; 

42 | Let’s Move!
	
 

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• trash removal; 

• Plants on the perimeter that are drought resistant but draw in pollinating 

friends like bees or butterflies that are attractive and beneficial to the 

garden; and 

• adding children’s areas with small plots or sand boxes. 

start GroWiNG! The USDA’s National Agricultural Library offers further 

resources on starting a community garden. Please visit the Library at http:// 

afsic.nal.usda.gov. Check out the “Urban Agriculture and Community 

Gardening” section under the “Farms and Community” tab for community 

garden resources, or call 301.504.6559 for more information on the Library. 

Notes: 

Let’s Move! | 43
	
Additional Resources
	

The following section provides information 

on additional resources that are relevant 

to faith-based and neighborhood 

organizations interested in working on 

Let’s Move! 

Summary of obesity funding programs 

from the U.S. Department of Health 

and Human Services’ Rural Assistance 

Center 

http://www.raconline.org/funding/funding_ 

topic_details.php?topic=Obesity 

Summary of grants for obesity 

programs and research from the 

National Institutes of Health 

http://www.obesityresearch.nih.gov/ 

funding/funding.htm 

Summary of grants from the U.S. 

Department of Agriculture (USDA) 

http://www.csrees.usda.gov/fo/funding. 

cfm 

http://www.usda.gov/knowyourfarmer 

Summary of USDA Nutrition Assistance 

Programs: 

http://www.fns.usda.gov/fns/services.htm 

The following organizations and programs 

provide information and resources that 

can assist faith-based and neighborhood 

organizations in their efforts to address 

childhood obesity. These organizations 

include: 

Robert Wood Johnson Foundation 

(RWJF) Center to Prevent Childhood 

Obesity 

content/technical-assistance

http://www.reversechildhoodobesity.org/ 

or by calling 

510.663.4341. 

The RWJF Center to Prevent 

Childhood Obesity is a national 

organization dedicated to reversing 

the childhood obesity epidemic by 

changing public policies and creating 

healthier environments in schools and 

communities. The Center provides 

technical assistance to help communities 

achieve these goals and educate 

policymakers and advocates about 

which national, State, regional, and local 

policies are most effective in preventing 

childhood obesity. A host of technical 

assistance tools and resources, including 

webinars, case studies, and toolkits, can 

be accessed via the Center website at 

In addition to providing technical 

assistance, the RWJF Center serves as 

a repository of information from a number 

of the organizations and programs listed 

below that address childhood obesity. 

Active Living Research 

Active Living Research contributes to 

the prevention of childhood obesity in 

low-income and high-risk racial/ethnic 

communities by supporting research to 

examine how environments and policies 

influence active living for children and 

their families. Active Living Research 

manages grants to help build the 

evidence base and has a resource center 

of literature citations and active living 

news. For more information, visit http:// 

www.activelivingresearch.org. 

African American Collaborative 

Obesity Research Network (AACORN) 

The mission of AACORN is to improve the 

quality, quantity, and effective translation 

of research to address weight-related 

issues in African American communities. 

44 | Let’s Move!
	
 

AACORN’s interests include research 

about healthful eating and physical 

activity, prevention of weight gain, and 

weight loss and maintenance. AACORN 

addresses these issues in the contexts 

of social and family interactions and 

other aspects of day-to-day life in 

African American communities. For more 

information and to access AACORN’s 

community tools, visit http://www.aacorn. 

org/index.html. 

Alliance for a Healthier Generation 

The American Heart Association and 

the William J. Clinton Foundation joined 

forces in May of 2005 to create a healthier 

generation by addressing childhood 

obesity. Along with co-leader Governor 

Arnold Schwarzenegger of California, 

the Alliance for a Healthier Generation 

works to positively affect the places 

that can make a difference to a child’s 

health: homes, schools, restaurants, 

doctor’s offices, and communities. For 

more information and to access the 

Alliance’s print resources, visit http://www. 

healthiergeneration.org/schools.aspx. 

Bridging the Gap 

Bridging the Gap is a research program 

with a goal to improve the understanding 

of how policies and environmental factors 

affect diet, physical activity, and obesity 

among youth, as well as youth tobacco 

use. Bridging the Gap tracks trends and 

changes in these factors over time at the 

State, community, and school levels and 

disseminates findings to help advance 

solutions for reversing the childhood 

obesity epidemic. For more information, 

visit http://www.bridgingthegapresearch. 

org/. 

Communities Creating Healthy 

Environments (CCHE) 

CCHE is a national capacity-building 

initiative to support diverse, communitybased organizations and indigenous 

groups in developing and organizing 

for effective, culturally competent policy 

initiatives that address the root causes 

of childhood obesity at the local level. 

For more information, visit http://www. 

ccheonline.org/. 

Community Action Agencies (CAAs) 

CAAs are nonprofit private and public 

organizations established under the 

Economic Opportunity Act of 1964 to fight 

America’s War on Poverty. CAAs help 

people to help themselves in achieving 

self-sufficiency. Today, approximately 

1,000 CAAs serve the poor in every State 

as well as Puerto Rico and the Trust 

Territories. 

The service areas of CAAs cover 96% 

of the nation’s counties. The CAAs 

are connected by a national network 

that includes the Community Action 

Partnership national association, regional 

associations, State associations, a 

national lobbying organization, and 

a national association of Community 

Service Block Grant administrators. 

Because each CAA is governed locally, 

each provides a different mix of programs 

and services. For example, 84% of 

CAAs deliver food and nutrition services, 

whereas 29% deliver health care. To 

learn more about CAAs and to find a 

nearby CAA, please visit http://www. 

communityactionpartnership.com. 

Let’s Move! | 45
	
The Food Trust 

The Food Trust, a nonprofit founded 

in 1992, strives to make healthy 

food available to all. Working with 

neighborhoods, schools, grocers, 

farmers, and policymakers in more 

than a dozen States, the Food Trust 

promotes a comprehensive approach 

that combines nutrition education and 

greater availability of affordable, healthy 

food. The Food Trust is a partner in the 

Pennsylvania Fresh Food Financing 

Initiative, on which Let’s Move!’s Healthy 

Food Financing Initiative to encourage 

supermarket development is based. To 

find free resources on nutrition education, 

supermarket development, healthier 

corner stores, and other important 

food issues, please visit http://www. 

thefoodtrust.org/. 

Galvanizing Communities 

Galvanizing Communities works with faithbased coalitions to advocate for improved 

food, nutrition, and environmental policies. 

For more information, visit http://www. 

galvanizingcommunities.com/Galvanizing_ 

Communities/Welcome.html. 

Healthy Eating Active Living 

Convergence Partnership 

In 2006, a collaboration of funders came 

together to create the Healthy Eating 

Active Living Convergence Partnership, 

with the shared goal of changing policies 

and environments to better achieve the 

vision of healthy people living in healthy 

places. The Convergence Partnership 

supports multi-field equity-focused efforts 

to create environments that support 

healthy eating and active living. For more 

information and resources, visit http:// 

www.convergencepartnership.org. 

Healthy Eating Research 

Healthy Eating Research supports 

research on environmental and policy 

strategies with strong potential to 

promote healthy eating among children 

to prevent childhood obesity, especially 

among low-income and racial and ethnic 

populations at highest risk for obesity. 

Healthy Eating Research issues calls for 

proposals on a variety of topics related to 

environmental and policy research and 

develops research briefs that address 

major issues in childhood obesity. For 

more information, visit http://www. 

healthyeatingresearch.org/. 

Healthy Kids, Healthy Communities 

The primary goal of Healthy Kids, 

Healthy Communities is to implement 

healthy eating and active living policyand environmental-change initiatives 

that can support healthier communities 

for children and families across the 

United States. Healthy Kids, Healthy 

Communities places special emphasis 

on reaching children who are at highest 

risk for obesity on the basis of race/ 

ethnicity, income and/or geographic 

location. To get more information 

and to learn about how Healthy Kids, 

Healthy Communities supports local 

community leaders, visit http://www. 

healthykidshealthycommunities.org/. 

Leadership for Healthy Communities 

Leadership for Healthy Communities 

supports local and State government 

leaders nationwide in their efforts to 

reduce childhood obesity through public 

policies that promote active living, 

healthy eating, and access to healthy 

46 | Let’s Move!
	
 

foods. The program targets 15 priority 

States: Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, 

Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, 

Mississippi, New Mexico, North 

Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, 

Tennessee, Texas, and West Virginia. 

For more information, visit http://www. 

leadershipforhealthycommunities.org/. 

National Cancer Institute (NCI) 

NCI is a good resource for recipes to help 

families prepare nutritious and delicious 

food that can be incorporated into a 

community cookbook. Visit these websites 

for healthy, nutritious recipes: 

Recipes for better nutrition: http://www. 

thebody.com/content/art6423.html; and 

Down home healthy cooking: http://www. 

cancer.gov/cancertopics/down-homehealthy-cooking. 

National Hunger Clearinghouse (NHC) 

The NHC collects and distributes 

information about community-based 

resources and government programs 

that address the immediate and longterm needs of struggling families 

and individuals. Funded by the 

U.S. Department of Agriculture and 

managed by WhyHunger, the NHC 

operates the National Hunger Hotline 

(1-866-3-HUNGRY), which receives calls 

from individuals and organizations in need 

of information and resources. According 

to the particular needs of the caller, the 

Hotline provides referrals to emergency 

food providers, government programs 

and benefits, and community-based 

organizations. For more information, 

please visit http://www.whyhunger.org. 

National Initiative for Children’s 

Healthcare Quality (NICHQ) 

Led by experienced pediatric health care 

professionals, NICHQ’s mission is to 

improve children’s health by improving 

the systems responsible for the delivery 

of children’s health care. NICHQ’s current 

initiatives focus on ensuring that every 

child receives care in a high-performing 

medical home, including the prevention 

and treatment of childhood obesity; 

improving care systems for children with 

special health care needs; and improving 

perinatal care. NICHQ works with 

providers, funders, payers, policymakers, 

patients, and families to change care. 

NICHQ offers expert training, consulting 

support, educational materials, and data 

to entities working toward improving 

perinatal care and addressing childhood 

obesity. For more information, visit http:// 

www.nichq.org/. 

National Policy and Legal Analysis 

Network to Prevent Childhood Obesity 

(NPLAN) 

NPLAN provides leaders in the childhood 

obesity prevention field with focused 

legal research, model policies, fact 

sheets, toolkits, training, and technical 

assistance to explain legal issues related 

to public health. For more information and 

resources, visit http://www.nplanonline. 

org/. 

New Jersey YMCA State Alliance 

The New Jersey YMCA State Alliance is 

an association made up of 44 YMCA from 

the State of New Jersey. Among its goals 

is to develop and implement strategic 

statewide programs that will have a 

Let’s Move! | 47
	
positive impact on solving critical needs 

and issues in New Jersey, to provide a 

unified voice to address public policy 

issues, and to fulfill its mission to build 

strong kids, strong families, and strong 

communities. For more information, visit 

http://www.njymca.org/. 

PolicyLink 

PolicyLink is a national research and 

action institute advancing economic and 

social equity by Lifting Up What Works.® 

Founded in 1999, PolicyLink connects the 

work of local residents to the creation of 

sustainable communities of opportunity 

that allow everyone to participate and 

prosper. Such communities offer access 

to healthy food and physical activity, 

quality jobs, affordable housing, good 

schools, and transportation. PolicyLink 

shares its findings and analysis through 

its publications, website, and online 

tools and in briefings with national and 

local policymakers. For more information 

on PolicyLink, please visit http://www. 

policylink.org. Highlighted below are two 

recent reports from PolicyLink that relate 

to the four pillars of Let’s Move: 

Healthy Food, Healthy Communities: 

Promising Strategies to Improve Access 

to Fresh, Healthy Food and Transform 

Communities provides information about 

ways that communities across the country 

have succeeded in improving access to 

healthy food. To access the report, visit 

http://www.policylink.org/publications/ 

healthyfoodhealthycommunities. 

Grocery Store Attraction Strategies: 

A Resource Guide for Community 

Activists and Local Governments focuses 

on strategies for attracting grocery 

stores to underserved low-income 

communities. To access the report, visit 

http://www.policylink.org/publications/ 

grocerystoreattractionstrategies. 

The Reinvestment Fund (TRF) 

TRF is an innovator in the financing of 

neighborhood and economic revitalization. 

Central to its mission is a commitment to 

put capital and private initiative to work 

for the public good. TRF has made $1 

billion in community investment across 

the Mid-Atlantic since its inception in 

1985. In pursuit of its mission, TRF 

finances homes, schools, supermarkets, 

commercial real estate, and sustainable 

energy projects using loan, equity, and 

other financing tools. It supports its 

financing with a strong research and 

policy analysis capacity that has become 

a highly regarded source of unbiased 

information for public officials and private 

investors. TRF’s strength is reflected in its 

national online data and mapping tool that 

is available at http://www.policymap.com. 

TRF provides financing for supermarkets 

or other grocery stores that plan to 

operate in underserved communities, 

where infrastructure costs and credit 

needs cannot be solely filled by 

conventional financial institutions. 

By improving the food landscape of 

underserved communities, TRF’s 

financing provides families with increased 

access to affordable healthy food. 

Supermarkets and other grocery stores 

also make valuable contributions to 

the community by creating jobs and 

revitalizing neighborhoods. TRF is proud 

48 | Let’s Move!
	
 

 

to have managed the Pennsylvania 

Fresh Food Financing Initiative that has 

supported more than 85 varied stores 

across Pennsylvania. To learn more about 

TRF’s supermarket financing program, 

visit http://www.trfund.com/financing/ 

realestate/supermarkets.html or call 

215.574.5898. 

Safe Routes to School National 

Partnership 

The Safe Routes to School National 

Partnership is a network of hundreds of 

organizations, government agencies, and 

professional groups working to set goals, 

share best practices, secure funding, 

and provide educational materials to 

agencies that implement Safe Routes 

to School programs. The mission is to 

advocate for and promote the practice of 

safe bicycling and walking to and from 

schools throughout the United States. 

For 2010 and 2011, the project has 

been funded in the District of Columbia 

and 19 States: Arkansas, California, 

Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, 

Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, 

Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, 

Montana, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, 

Tennessee, Virginia, and Wisconsin. 

The project brings together stakeholders 

from diverse fields to work with State 

Departments of Transportation to increase 

physical activity in students, to make 

the best use of available Federal funds, 

and to remove policy barriers to walking 

and bicycling to schools. For more 

information and resources, visit http:// 

www.saferoutespartnership.org/. 

Salud America! The RWJF Research 

Network to Prevent Obesity Among 

Latino Children 

Salud America! The RWJF Research 

Network to Prevent Obesity Among 

Latino Children is a national network 

of researchers, community leaders, 

policymakers, and other stakeholders 

who are working together to increase 

the number of Latino scientists seeking 

environmental and policy solutions to 

address Latino childhood obesity. For 

more information, visit http://www.saludamerica.org/. 

Save the Children: Campaign for 

Healthy Kids 

Save the Children works to change the 

lives of children in need in the United 

States and around the world. Save the 

Children works in impoverished rural 

communities in Appalachia and across 

America to provide early childhood 

development, literacy, physical activity, 

and nutrition programming as well as 

emergency relief. To learn more, visit 

http://www.savethechildren.org/ and http:// 

www.k2kusa.org/. 

United States Breastfeeding 

Committee (USBC) 

USBC is a coalition of national 

organizations dedicated to supporting 

breastfeeding in the United States. Its 

mission is to improve the nation’s health 

by working collaboratively to protect, 

promote and support breastfeeding. 

Members include non-profit organizations, 

professional associations, and 

governmental agencies. The USBC 

strategic plan includes goals to improve 

the integration of breastfeeding services 

Let’s Move! | 49
	
in health care, supporting women in the 

workforce, and addressing marketing 

of infant formula. For more information, 

please visit http://www.usbreastfeeding. 

org. 

Yale University Rudd Center for Food 

Policy and Obesity 

The Rudd Center for Food Policy and 

Obesity seeks to improve the world’s 

diet, prevent obesity, and reduce 

weight stigma by establishing creative 

connections between science and public 

policy, developing targeted research, 

encouraging frank dialogue among key 

constituents, and expressing a dedicated 

commitment to real change. The Rudd 

Center assesses, critiques, and strives 

to improve practices and policies related 

to nutrition and obesity to inform and 

empower the public; to promote objective, 

science-based approaches to policy; 

and to maximize the impact on public 

health. The Rudd Center is dedicated to 

assessing and disseminating information 

about effective community and school 

interventions that address nutrition 

and obesity. For more information and 

resources, visit 

org/

http://www.yaleruddcenter. 

. 

YMCA of the USA (Y-USA): Pioneering 

Healthy Communities 

Y-USA’s Activate America® Healthier 

Communities Initiatives are helping 

more than 100 YMCAs and their 

communities take the action needed 

to increase opportunities for physical 

activity and healthy eating. Y-USA’s 

Healthier Communities Initiatives focus 

on collaborative engagement with 

community leaders, how environments 

influence health and well-being, and the 

role policy plays in sustaining change. 

In addition, these initiatives empower 

local communities with proven strategies 

and models to create and sustain 

positive, lasting change for healthy living. 

Participating communities represent 

a variety of sizes (urban, rural, and 

suburban), hard-to-reach populations 

(low-income, underserved, and racial 

and ethnic), and geographic diversity and 

committed leadership at the community 

level, including strong YMCA leadership 

and presence. 

Define the goals and objectives of the 

initiative and develop a realistic strategy 

toward attaining them. Make sure there is 

a system to maintain accountability. 

Stress strengths of your organization 

and highlight needs that can be fulfilled 

through partnerships. 

Establish good personal relationships in 

order to increase the ability to anticipate 

and resolve problems. 

For more information about how to 

support public-private partnerships, 

see “Maximizing Program Services 

Through Private Sector Partnerships and 

Relationships: A Guide for Faith- and 

Community-Based Service Providers,” 

which can be found at http://www.hhs. 

gov/fbci/Tools%20&%20Resources/ 

partnerhandbook_feb2006.pdf. 

50 | Let’s Move!
	
 

Building Networks and Partnerships
	

It will take all parts of our communities 

working together to help end the 

childhood obesity epidemic. The following 

section provides some tips to consider 

for building networks to implement these 

activities, as well as partnerships with 

the foundation or business community to 

support those activities. 

Strategies for Mobilizing Your 

Community 

Consider the following steps from the 

Communities That Care guide: 

1.	 Build a community action plan around 

Let’s Move! that includes shared 

goals, timelines, and assignments. 

2.	 Involve everyone in the community 

to most effectively use all available 

resources to achieve your goals. 

3.	 To ensure that the action plan 

continues to move forward, identify a 

leader who is willing to be responsible 

for the achievement of the community 

action plan’s goals. 

4.	 Collect data to monitor progress 

toward achieving the community’s 

goals. 

5.	 Focus on teamwork to accomplish 

goals: give everyone a part to play 

and make them feel involved and 

engaged. 

These tips are gathered from the 

Communities That Care tool (http://ncadi. 

samhsa.gov/features/ctc/resources.aspx), 

developed to help community and faith 

leaders and organizations improve the 

mental health of their communities. 

Ideas for Leveraging Private 

Partnerships 

There may be specific opportunities 

to collaborate with the private and 

foundation sector (e.g., the business 

community and foundations) to address 

obesity and hunger among children in 

your community. The kinds of initiatives 

that result from collaboration and 

mutual support between nonprofits and 

congregations and the philanthropic and 

business sector are often called publicprivate partnerships. The following are a 

few steps that can be taken in the process 

of exploring how these partnerships can 

support your efforts: 

1.	 In light of your community, define and 

establish your mission and goals. 

2.	 Define your assets and needs, 

and then determine what type of 

partnership with a private entity 

would best forward your goals.
	

3.	 Leverage the skills of a private 

partner to develop a marketing plan 

for your organization and present the 

plan to your corporate partner. 

4.	 Identify several methods of funding 

other than the private partner and 

create grant proposals. 

5.	 Plan to communicate regularly with 

partners and identify a partnership 

manager who can communicate with 

both private and public institutions. 

With the gift of a new partnership, here 

are a couple of ideas of how to put the 

partnership to good use for leveraging 

Let’s Move! | 51
	
that relationship into resources for your 

community: 

6.	 Build a record of success through 

consistent, effective programs to gain 

support. 

7.	 Define the goals and objectives of 

the initiative and develop a realistic 

strategy toward attaining them. Make 

sure there is a system to maintain 

accountability. 

8.	 Stress strengths of your organization 

and highlight needs that can be 

fulfilled through partnerships. 

9.	 Establish good personal relationships 

in order to increase the ability to 

anticipate and resolve problems. 

For more information about how to 

support public-private partnerships, 

see “Maximizing Program Services 

Through Private Sector Partnerships and 

Relationships: A Guide for Faith- and 

Community-Based Service Providers,” 

which can be found at http://www.hhs. 

gov/fbci/Tools%20&%20Resources/ 

partnerhandbook_feb2006.pdf. 

52 | Let’s Move!
	

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF 

HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES 

Center for Faith-based 

& Neighborhood Partnerships 

200 Independence Avenue, SW 

Washington, DC 20201