Immediate (March 2, 2005)

Collin Parker

Fletcher Allen Public Relations

(802) 847-2886

Tina S. de la Torre

United Way of Chittenden County

(802) 864-7541

$25,000 in Grant Money Available for Collaborations Promoting Physical Health

BURLINGTON, VT - Fletcher Allen Health Care, The Champlain Initiative, and the United Way of Chittenden County announced today that funding is available for use in reducing obesity and promoting physical activity and healthy nutrition.  Grant requests are now being accepted from community-based collaborations of two or more entities for mini-grants of up to $10,000.

The $25,000 in funding for the grants has been provided by Fletcher Allen through its Community Benefits Program.  The Champlain Initiative will assist Fletcher Allen in soliciting and evaluating proposals and in providing technical assistance to the grantees where appropriate.

In 2004 Fletcher Allen, the United Way of Chittenden County, and the Champlain Initiative led a consortium of community-based organizations in administering a community needs assessment.  In the assessment, the community identified physical health (particularly obesity, poor nutrition and eating habits, and sedentary lifestyles) as one of its top three priorities.  These factors often lead to diabetes and to heart disease, which is the leading cause of death in the area.

Information about both the mini-grants and the community assessment can be found at the Web sites for Fletcher Allen Health Care at www.fletcherallen.org and the United Way of Chittenden County at http://www.unitedwaycc.org/champlain_initiative.htm or by contacting Penrose Jackson, Director of Community Health Improvement at Fletcher Allen, at (802) 847-3445 or penrose.jackson@vtmednet.org.