Eat. Play. Live…Better

The Eat. Play. Live… Better initiative was launched by the Partners for Health Foundation in 2011, and continues to be funded by the Foundation. Eat. Play. Live… Better is a community-wide initiative to make healthy choices easier by supporting policy, system and environmental changes that promote healthy people in healthy places. Our communities are finding ways to make it easier to eat well and be physically active as the default, not the exception.

Eat. Play. Live…Better’s partners work in tandem to implement evidence-based strategies and track progress through a shared measurement system. Initiative partners include businesses, organizations, individuals, and institutions that live, learn, work and play in our communities

Eat. Play. Live… Better Communities are also members of the New Jersey Healthy Communities Network (NJHCN).

NJHCN began when ShapingNJ and the New Jersey Partnership for Healthy Kids brought together leadership, resources, capacity, and collaborators to support healthy eating and active living through enhancement of the built environment. Partners for Health has been a part of the Steering Committee that leads NJHCN since 2010, and is proud to have supported 6 communities during that time.

The movement has four priority areas:

  • Communities of Practice
  • Community Grant Program
  • Advocacy
  • Funding Collaborative

Today, the NJHCN has over 100 Partners including grantees, funders, advocates, and communities of practice members. Since its inception in 2013, the signature Community Grants program has awarded over $1 million in grants to grantees.

Below are highlights of accomplishments of Partners for Health funded NJHCN Community Grants in 2015:

  • Nutley opened their first Community Garden at the Nutley VFW Post, which has a waiting list for plots
  • Township of Bloomfield introduced a Healthy Corner Store program, engaging convenience stores in offering and prominently displaying healthier food options
  • Verona developed Safe Routes to School maps and promoted walking for families
  • The Montclair Community Farm partnered with the Montclair Health Department to sell Montclair grown fresh produce at a discount at three senior housing sites

To learn more about New Jersey Healthy Communities Network, please visit their website at: http://njhcn.org/

To read about the amazing work being accomplished by all participating communities in the state, including those funded by Partners for Health Foundation, visit the NJHCN blogs at: http://www.njhcn.org/blog/