Advocates for Health in Action (AHA), a collaborative working to make healthful eating and physical activity a way of life in Wake County, has received a $42,356 grant from the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina Foundation to develop an infrastructure database showing locations of physical activity and healthful food choice opportunities.

"Many studies have been completed linking walkability, access to healthful foods and greater perceived safety to a healthier community," commented Laura Aiken, AHA director and WakeMed community health specialist. "The BCBSNC grant will enable us to more definitively know what resources exist in the community and to identify gaps. By educating the community on the resources that are available and advocating for the resources where they are needed, the end result will be changes in the way children and families behave."

AHA will compile existing data available from local and state agencies and organizations to build a spatial database using GIS technology of Wake County's infrastructure representing the locations of physical activity and healthful food choice opportunities. AHA will use the database to determine which areas in Wake County lack access to healthful food or physical activity resources. AHA partners will put the information to work, determining where to invest resources to improve access. For example, the map will show the parks and full-service groceries throughout the county and AHA partners will use this information to determine the best placement of a sidewalk or greenway to link these facilities to neighborhoods.

"Having this data will allow AHA to make the best use of time and resources, and will keep the focus on areas that need the most attention. Furthermore, the data will influence the officials and decision-makers as they will be able to see on paper where community problems exist," continued Aiken.

"We believe that this investment will help us further our mission of improving the health and well-being of our fellow North Carolinians," said Kathy Higgins, president of the BCBSNC Foundation. "It is important that we continue to support innovative and effective programs and services that help individuals and communities across the state."

Statewide, the BCBSNC Foundation invested more than $530,000 in grants to 26 organizations as part of this most recent grant cycle. The BCBSNC Foundation focuses on three key areas: improving the health outcomes of vulnerable populations served by safety-net organizations, promoting healthy and physically active communities, and increasing the effectiveness and capability of nonprofit organizations in the state. More information can be found at http://www.bcbsncfoundation.org.

About Advocates for Health in Action

Advocates for Health in Action is a group of diverse organizations and community members who are shaping the environment throughout Wake County so healthful eating and physical activity are the way of life. The mission of this collaborative is for Wake County to be a "community where healthful eating and physical activity are the way of life." AHA works to achieve its mission by shaping policy and environments that ensure available and affordable access to healthful foods and physical activity for all community members. The AHA membership currently includes 33 stakeholder organizations and will continue to grow as needs and opportunities are identified. For additional information, please visit http://www.advocatesforhealthinaction.org

AHA Member Organizations Include:

• Alliance Medical Ministry
• B.A. Hughes and Associates
• Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina Foundation
• Capital Area MPO
• Community Care of Wake and Johnston Counties
• City of Raleigh Planning Department
• Cooperative Extension
• Duke Raleigh Hospital
• El Pueblo, Inc.
• Great Activities Publishing Co.
• Inter-Faith Food Shuttle
• John Rex Endowment
• Marbles Kids Museum
• NC Alliance for Health
• NC Division of Public Health, Physical Activity and Nutrition Branch
• NC State University College of Natural Resources
• NC State University College of Design
• Parks and Recreation Department for a Healthier Wake
• Poe Center for Health Education
• Raleigh Parks and Recreation Department
• Rex Healthcare
• Safe Kids Wake County
• Sig Hutchinson and Associates
• Town of Garner Parks and Recreation
• Triangle Tomorrow
• UNC Pediatric Cardiology
• UNC Center for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention
• Wake County Human Services
• Wake County Public Schools
• Wake County PTA
• Wake Teen
• WakeMed Health and Hospitals
• YMCA of the Triangle
• YWCA of the Greater Triangle, Inc.