Volunteer group can help cause community change

By Kaitlin Johnson

A job that uses local farming and community members to improve conditions that support health? Where do I sign up?

As one of eight AmeriCorps positions working with the Wood County Health Department and the Get Active:Cause.Community.Change campaign, I was given the opportunity to work on something that inspires me and positively impacts residents of central Wisconsin.

The AmeriCorps positions are made possible through a national organization called AmeriCorps and the partnership of the Central Wisconsin Resiliency Project and the Wood County Health Department’s Communities Putting Prevention to Work grant.

The Get Active project’s mission is to create a healthier Wood County at the most basic level. The health of Wood County residents depends on the health of our natural environment and the attention we give it. Even with being surrounded by acres of farmland, many of our residents don’t get all the nutrients they need. But, living a healthy lifestyle is often more than making the right decision for meals. Many community members do not have easy access to healthy eating options while foods with less nutrition and more calories are readily available. Studies show if we make healthier food more affordable and accessible, then the health of our community will improve. How will we do that? Here are some examples: by working with restaurants to label lower calorie, nutritious options, by showing kids the fun of growing their own veggies, by ensuring children have healthy snacks, physical activity and limits on TV viewing in childcare and afterschool programming, and by increasing access to fresh produce at worksites, to name a few.

Beginning this summer, I have been working with the Get Active project’s Internet resources to assist in educating our county and to improve the welfare of our residents by creating healthier environments. With technology, we have a variety of ways to communicate and share ideas. Through our website www.getactivewisconsin.org; linked with our twitter, facebook and blog pages, we are able to reach out to Wood County residents and beyond.

In Wisconsin, the summer months provide perfect opportunities to get involved in local agriculture and healthy eating. While choosing and preparing a healthy meal can be challenging at times, we’re working to make it easier. On the Get Active blog, recipes are provided every Friday incorporating fresh produce available at local farmers markets. If you would like a healthy recipe with storage and preparation tips, you can find those on our website.  

Do you want to learn more about the latest Get Active work being done in your community?  Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter.  

Also, if you don’t have access to a computer and you forgot to make a shopping list, find My Daily Menu brochures at many local grocers in Wood County. The brochures provide four to five healthy recipes weekly to ease your shopping anxiety. My Daily Menu will also be expanded soon allowing recipes and meal ideas to be texted directly to your cell phones.  Watch our website for an opportunity to sign up for the texts.  

The AmeriCorps program has given Wood County and Central Wisconsin great resources to help a growing community effort. This help can be amplified by community members getting involved in their health and learning what they can do collectively to make a healthy Wood County. To learn more about the Get Active: Cause.Community.Change. program and how you can get involved, check out the website at www.getactivewisconsin.org or follow the organization on Twitter and Facebook.

Kaitlin Johnson