Submission
Kentucky is one of 20 states to benefit from a $1.5 million grant Action for Healthy Kids just received from the Walmart Foundation. This grant will be used by AFHK and state teams like KY AFHK to expand our grassroots program, Action for Healthy Kids in Schools, which will improve access to healthy foods at school and bolster nutrition education for 160,000 children nationwide.
For many kids, food served at school through breakfast, lunch, and/or snacks makes up 40 percent or more of their diets. Schools - very often limited in adequate equipment, personnel, and financial resources – work hard to provide their students with this critical nourishment. This grant presents an excellent opportunity to provide schools with financial and human resources that support the serving of healthy food choices and adoption of strong wellness practices. Action for Healthy Kids works with schools at the grassroots level to help them put these wellness policies into action, turning strategies on paper into everyday practices that improve the health of their students.
With this funding, Action for Healthy Kids can provide direct financial support to 400 schools through mini-grants and health-improving programs. In addition, 20 Action for Healthy Kids state teams will receive funding to support school projects in their states, provide them with technical assistance, and help them recruit and support local volunteers.
Action for Healthy Kids has state teams in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Additionally, the donation further extends the impact of Action for Healthy Kids, which already reaches nearly 5 million students annually.
For more information on Action for Healthy Kids, visit here http://www.actionforhealthykids.org/.