
Connecting with Clay Communities
Ami Cook, a Family and Community Development agent for West Virginia University Extension Services, has spent more than a decade working in and around Clay County.
Be Wild. Be Wonderful. Be Healthy. is a 5-year project promoting increased access to physical activity and improved access to healthy foods in Clay and McDowell counties. This project prioritizes local solutions to health-related challenges in WV communities.
Be Healthy is a partnership between WVU Extension Service and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The project aims to build connections through identifying local resources, building connections, and learning about the viewpoint and suggested solutions of community members.
Opportunities to share community knowledge and information.
Mapping of physical activity and healthy food assets serving local communities.
Connecting people to resources via changes in policy, systems, and environment.
Approved program partners are eligible for funding and technical support.
Improved access to healthy and nutritious food is one of the #BeHealthyWV project’s main goals. We are proud to partner with Mountaineer Food Bank throughout the second year of our project. Mountaineers #GoFirst
By building partnerships with community leaders, the team worked to improve access to healthy food and created more opportunities for residents to be more physically active. The Be Healthy project team was pleased to collaborate with several community organizations and partners who made a positive impact on the lives of several West Virginia residents and families.
Thank you to all of our year one project partners working on improving access to healthy foods: McDowell County Commission on Aging, Inc. West Virginia Food & Farm Coalition, MountainHeart Community Services, Inc., McDowell County FACES, Reconnecting McDowell, Five Loaves & Two Fishes Food Bank, Inc., Council Of The Southern Mountains, Risen Lord Catholic Church, Big Creek People In Action.INC., Clay-Braxton Parents As Teachers, and @Clay WV Housing Authority.
We also want to celebrate all of our community partners’ hard work in the first year of our collaboration: Big Creek People In Action.INC., The Coalfield Community Action Group, Council Of The Southern Mountains, @Grayhound Youth Sports, Reconnecting McDowell, Five Loaves & Two Fishes Food Bank, Inc., Clay, WV FRN, Lizemore Elementary School, H.E. White Elementary School, Clay County Business Development Authority – BDA, Clay County Health Department, WV.
Check out some of the latest developments, stories, and more from Be Wild. Be Wonderful. Be Healthy.
Ami Cook, a Family and Community Development agent for West Virginia University Extension Services, has spent more than a decade working in and around Clay County.
There’s nothing as satisfying as seeing community-oriented efforts thrive in West Virginia. Since 2019, we’ve had the privilege of supporting many healthy food access and physical activity-based projects across Clay and McDowell Counties.
We can do great things when we work together. At Be Healthy, that’s why we love to collaborate with other funders and organizations to ensure we can all make the biggest impact for our Clay and McDowell County communities and the projects they create.
In McDowell County, West Virginia, the sport of pickleball has become a common ground for community fitness.
In Clay County, finding a safe, accessible space for physical activity is easier said than done. Without a local YMCA, armory, or other community space open for recreational activities, options are limited. But things are about to change.
This is the sixth installment in Be Healthy’s Year Three Project Partners spotlight series.
We truly appreciate the support of our community partners and valued contributors. The Be Healthy project was made possible with funding from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Please visit the following links to learn more about the CDC, Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Obesity, and more:
Active People, Healthy Nation is a national initiative led by CDC to help 27 million Americans become more physically active by 2027. Increased physical activity can improve health, quality of life, and reduce healthcare costs. Here are a few useful Active People, Healthy Nation resources for reference:
Improving the culture of physical activity in our state by providing awareness, education, guidance, and opportunities.
We want everyone interested in promoting physical activity in West Virginia involved in the Center.
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