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Greetings!
Happy autumn! MCOPP remains busy working towards our goals of promoting environment and organizational policy improvements that promote healthy eating and active living.
Information about our upcoming November 1st meeting can be found to the right. Please RSVP as soon as possible if you have not yet done so. This is MCOPP's year-end meeting--we will look ahead to 2012 and beyond and will engage in a training based on the book Strengths Finder 2.0.
We welcome your participation in MCOPP's subcommittees that are focused on the specific topic areas we are working on with our eight UNCOM member agencies and other partners: (1) healthy foods and beverages, (2) land use opportunities for active lifestyles, nutrition, and recreation, and (3) professional development. Please contact us if you are interested in serving on a subcommittee.
The article below recaps the Backpack Project, one of MCOPP's summer demonstration projects at an UNCOM member agency. The program plan is available for replication--please contact us if you are interested in starting a backpack project at your organization.
Join us in our mission of working together for healthy eating and active living! We envision a Milwaukee with reduced childhood obesity where the healthy choice is the easy choice.
Thanks for your support of the Milwaukee Childhood Obesity Prevention Project.
Best wishes,
David Nelson (MCOPP Director) and
Sarah O'Connor (MCOPP Coordinator) | |
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The Backpack Project
A Milwaukee Childhood Obesity Prevention Project Demonstration Project
The Backpack Project arose from the reality that during the summer, many children suffer from hunger over the weekend when meals are not provided by their school or summer camp. Thus, the goals of the Backpack Project were to provide the youth participants with healthy food, to promote good nutritional habits, and to involve them in making healthy meals to feed themselves during the weekend.
Every Friday afternoon for six weeks, up to twelve children attended the one-hour Backpack Project sessions in the cafeteria. The children worked together to assemble backpacks full of easy-to-make, healthy food to eat over the weekend. Each backpack contained 10-12 items that did not require the use of an oven or stove-top; most items did not require the use of a microwave. In addition, the sessions included simple demonstrations about kitchen safety, healthy eating habits, and how to read a recipe card, as well as opportunities for the children to prepare snacks and to take a field trip to Growing Power to purchase vegetables that they used to make salsa.
At the mid-point and at the end of the six week project, the satisfaction of both participants and parents was assessed. Based on the success of the pilot program, this agency has plans to continue the program.
 | | The Backpack Team |
 | | Learning about My Plate |
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Who We Are
MCOPP is an inclusive coalition with the goal of reducing childhood obesity in Milwaukee through environmental and policy improvements and changes that promote healthy eating and active living.
Our members include leaders and staff from the eight member centers of the United Neighborhood Centers of Milwaukee (UNCOM), community residents, partners from youth-serving organizations, specialists in the fields of nutrition, exercise science, physical education, public health, medicine, urban planning, and others.
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Year-end MCOPP Leadership Team Meeting
Date and time
Tuesday, November 1st
10:00am - 12:30pm
Please RSVP if you plan to attend
Neighborhood House of Milwaukee
2819 W. Richardson Place in Milwaukee
For more information
Contact Sarah O'Connor
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Upcoming Events | |
Kidney Early Evaluation Program (KEEP) screening at Agape on Wednesday, November 2nd, 9am-1pm.
KEEP is a free health screening for adults 18 and older at increased risk of developing kidney disease who have one or more of the following: diabetes, high blood pressure, or a parent/sibling with high blood pressure, diabetes, or kidney disease. The screening requires a 12-hour fast prior to the KEEP appointment, but drinking water during the fast is allowed. To make an appointment, call 262-821-0705 ext. 10. Allow at least one hour to complete the KEEP screening on November 2nd. Agape Community Center is located at 6100 N. 42nd Street in Milwaukee.
Community Health Fair at Neighborhood House on Saturday, October 29th, 10am-1pm.
There will be blood pressure screenings, health check-ups, food program information, medical insurance information, massages, health information, books for kids, and give-aways. Call 414-933-6161 for more information. Neighborhood House of Milwaukee is located at 2819 W. Richardson Place in Milwaukee.
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In the News
Local and State:
National:
Links for more information about healthy eating and active living
Healthy Kids Healthy Communities
Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2010
Grant Opportunities!
Nutrition Grants from the Allen Foundation:
This foundation offers funding for projects that benefit nutrition in the areas of education, training, and research. Priorities include: 1) nutritional education for mothers during pregnancy and after birth; 2) training for educators and demonstrators of good nutritional practices; 3) dissemination of helpful nutritional information; and 4) researching connections between diet and health.
Deadline: December 31, 2011
Eligibility: Nonprofits, colleges, and community organizations.
www.allenfoundation.org
Salad Bar Grants
As part of First Lady Michelle Obama's Let's Move anti-obesity program, this program is providing salad bars for schools. Schools currently awarded with Bronze status or above in the Healthier US School Challenge will automatically qualify for a salad bar donation.
Deadline: Rolling
Eligibility: K-12 school district participating in the National School Lunch Program.
www.fns.usda.gov/tn/healthierus/index.html | |
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