PROVIDENCE – The Rhode Island Community Food Bank has received an $11,000 2019 BlueAngel Community Health Grant from Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island to increase access to its Healthy Habits: Eating Well on a Budget program.
The program strives to provide nutrition education to underserved populations. During the next year, the food bank will conduct eight Healthy Habits six-week class series. The classes will be split between those offered to children at food bank after-school programs and those held at food bank food pantries for adults with children. The classes will emphasize the importance of good nutrition, physical activity and a healthy weight for children and families.
“Nutrition education is a critical part of the community-based work of both of our organizations and we’re so pleased to once again receive support from Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island for our Healthy Habits program,” said Rhode Island Community Food Bank CEO Andrew Schiff.
Since the inception of the BlueAngel Community Health Grants in 2002, Blue Cross has donated more than $3.8 million to local nonprofits, impacting 300,000 Rhode Islanders.
The BlueAngel Community Health Grants program is Blue Cross’ cornerstone grant program, supporting nonprofit organizations working to address critical health issues in Rhode Island. For the past five years, the BlueAngel grant funding has focused on Rhode Island organizations promoting the importance of good nutrition, physical activity and healthy weight for children and their families.
“Childhood obesity is a major public health crisis in the country and in our state. In fact, Rhode Island continues to rank among the top 15 states with the highest obesity rates in children. Childhood overweight and obesity results in dangerous health impacts and significant cost impacts, and we believe we can and must do more to stem this epidemic,” said Kim A. Keck, president and CEO of Blue Cross. “Our support for organizations [such as] the Rhode Island Community Food Bank enables them to continue effectively addressing social and environmental factors that lead to overweight and obesity – particularly for low-income families in our state.”
Rob Borkowski is a PBN contributing writer.
