FO R IMMEDIATE RELEASE

July 15, 2021 

City of Kingston Awarded $1.525M “Creating Healthy Schools & Communities” Grant

KINGSTON, NY – Mayor Steven T. Noble is pleased to announce that the City of Kingston was awarded the Creating Healthy Schools and Communities grant for $1,525,000 from the NY State Department of Health, Division of Chronic Disease Prevention. 

The grant, which will span five years, will help to increase opportunities for physical activity and nutrition in schools and the community by engaging with trusted partners in child care and education -- Family of Woodstock, and Cornell Cooperative Extension of Ulster County. 

Daily physical activity and good nutrition early in life supports healthy growth and brain development and can protect against chronic diseases and conditions throughout life. Studies have shown that many children from underserved households do not have the access to the opportunities needed to meet recommended national guidelines for physical activity and healthy food. The Creating Healthy Schools and Communities grant aims to support and help implement policy and systems change to provide equitable access for all children in our community.  

“This grant will help the City of Kingston further its goal of supporting the social determinants of health -- access to everything needed for healthy living. We have to make sure that every child is given opportunities to succeed, and that starts with their nutrition and movement,” said Mayor Noble. “This initiative dovetails with the priorities of our Live Well Kingston Commission and its teams focused on healthy eating, active transportation, healing, aging, gardens and agriculture, and access to parks and play.”

Family of Woodstock, which currently has oversight of local early childcare centers, will review each centers’ physical activity and nutrition policies and will provide suggestions and trainings to enhance these efforts. Cornell Cooperative Extension of Ulster County, which has led multiple health programs in the School District, will support and establish health and wellness committees in the elementary schools. The committees’ efforts will create more opportunities for children to get the appropriate physical activity and nutrition needed to thrive. 

The City’s Health & Wellness Department will be implementing food service guidelines in community spaces to increase the accessibility of healthy foods. Locations may include People’s Place’s new Wellness Empowerment Center, concessions at Dietz Stadium and vending machines throughout the City. The Health & Wellness Department will continue to support and encourage walking and bicycling and will hire a Project Manager to oversee the facilitation of the grant, and to help incorporate infrastructure such as signage, streetscape items, trail markers and other amenities that support and enhance active transportation. 

“We are thankful to the State Department of Health for this five-year grant that will allow us to dive deeply into the work to increase physical activity and nutrition for our residents and workers,” said Emily Flynn, City of Kingston Director of Health and Wellness. “Special thanks to Family of Woodstock, Cornell Cooperative, the Kingston City School District, People’s Place, and our future partners for the opportunity to work on systems change together. Our goal is to make the healthy choice the easy choice in Kingston.”