Some might wonder what new paths and trails have to do with a population of people having inordinate levels of diabetes and high blood pressure, but the Power of We Consortium can explain. The Ingham County-based consortium cares about the health of its population, and laments what it sees.
“It’s important to focus on ways to increase access to exercise options as well as healthy foods for a healthier population,” says Peggy Roberts, consortium coordinator. The consortium works under the aegis of the Ingham County Health Department.
The group has secured a $134,419 grant to hire 10 AmeriCorps workers to work on two projects: One to create, expand and/or maintain trails, greenways, parks, or non-motorized vehicle pathways; and another to create, expand and/or maintain community gardens, or farmers markets.
Groups across the county are invited to compete for the AmeriCorps workers by presenting proposals.
The grant is coming from the Michigan Community Service Commission. It will host a meeting Sept. 10 in Lansing to teach prospective applicants how to complete the proposals.
Winning proposals will be selected by Oct. 8, and AmeriCorps workers will be selected and on duty by November, Roberts says.
She is already hearing creative project ideas: one organization recasts the notion of “pathway” as a river, thinking of kayaks as vehicles.
“Anything we can do to make our surroundings more vital and interesting while helping us to be more healthy is simply a good thing,” she says.
Source: Peggy Roberts, Power of We Consortium
Gretchen Cochran, Innovation & Jobs editor, may be reached here.
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