Spalding County, in partnership with the National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA), has received a $25,000 grant to support its out-of-school time healthy food access and nutritional literacy programs. The award is part of a $1.5 million grant NRPA received from the Walmart Foundation to support out-of-school time programs in park and recreation agencies across the country. The purpose of the grant is to:

1. Increase the number of healthy meals children receive through the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP), the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) or the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) during out-of-school times.
2. Provide evidence-based nutrition literacy to children and families that creates behavior change, including increased consumption of fruits and vegetables.
3. Implement healthy living practices and policies aligned with the evidence-based healthy eating and physical activity standards that increase access to healthier foods and support a healthy environment.

Spalding County’s grant will help increase access to healthy foods and improve opportunities for physical activity. Spalding County will also receive additional support for meals provided through USDA afterschool and summer feeding programs as well as nutritional literacy materials to help ensure life-long healthy habits for Griffin’s youth.

This grant supports NRPA’s campaign — Commit to Health — which encourages the implementation and evaluation of Healthy Eating, Physical Activity (HEPA) standards in park and recreation sites nationwide. NRPA’s goal is to have at least 2,000 participating sites in five years. Within the first four years of the program, 1,650 sites have pledged to Commit to Health and nearly 300,000 children now have improved access to healthy foods and increased opportunities for physical activity.

According to Share our Strength’s No Kid Hungry Campaign, 1 in 6 kids across the country struggle with hunger every day. During the school year, over 21 million lowincome children receive free or reduced meals to help them meet their daily nutrition needs, but only 3 million of these children receive these meals during the summer. During summer months, these children may not have access to quality and healthy food to help them grow—making Spalding County’s work during out-of-school times that much more critical.

“Thanks to a successful four years with Commit to Health and the Walmart Foundation, nearly 300,000 children now have improved access to healthy foods and physical activity,” said Kellie May, NRPA director of health and wellness. “Parks and recreation are proving their critical role in the health of their communities and we can’t wait to see the impact this year’s grants will have on fostering life-long healthy habits in children across the country.”

“Spalding County is excited to be able to offer healthy out-of-school time resources to our youth,” said Leisure Services Manager Kelly Carmichael. “Our Seamless Summer Food Program partnership with the Griffin-Spalding School System allows us to serve free summer lunch at our community centers from June 4 through July 20. These funds will help improve our food facilities, as well as offer structured and open play.”

Spalding County’s community centers are AMBUCS (1110 High Falls Road), City Park (601 Camp Northern Way), and Fairmont (241 Blanton Avenue). AMBUCS and City Park will offer Summer Activities June 4 through July 27 from 10 AM to 2 PM, while Fairmont will offer them from 10 AM until 3 PM. Registration is required; parents can sign up their child(ren) by visiting any community center (check spaldingparks.com for facility hours).

To learn more about Commit to Health, visit www.nrpa.org/committohealth.