A group of local middle and high school students from Camp Fire USA have received a $1,000 grant from UnitedHealth HEROES for a new service-learning project focusing on Latino obesity called “Estamos Bien de Salud.”
The grant will give this 15+ member youth group the opportunity to learn about important local Latino health issues by meeting with nutrition experts, physical education instructors and public health officials. From there, the youth will be tasked with creating effective programs as well as developing bilingual educational materials to address important health issues that directly affect their communities, including White Center.
The students will kick-off their campaign at this Saturday’s Grand Opening of the Educare Center in White Center (625 SW 100th St. Seattle, WA 98146), and their project will be implemented during spring semester.
Here’s a press release:
SEATTLE ORGANIZATION RECEIVES GRANT TO HELP PREVENT CHILDHOOD OBESITY
UnitedHealth HEROES grants supports innovative Washington program to help children get and stay healthy
Washington grant part of national effort to help fund schools and community organizations
HEROES program is a community-based, service-learning initiative in collaboration with Youth Service America
UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH) has awarded a $1,000 grant to a Seattle nonprofit seeking to develop a creative program aimed at preventing childhood obesity in the state. Camp Fire USA, one of the nation’s leading nonprofit youth development organizations, received a $1,000 grant for its “Estamos Bien de Salud” program in the Seattle area.
The program will work with more than a dozen Seattle-area Latino middle and high school to create an interactive program that raises awareness about obesity and eating disorders among Spanish-speaking family members and classmates. The participating students will first assess the health of the local Latino community, meeting with nutrition experts, physical education instructors and public health officials. The students will then create an interactive presentation and perform it for their families and their peers in Seattle and South King County on April 23, which is Global Youth Service Day.
The HEROES program is especially important in Washington, where approximately 30 percent of Washington children ages 10‐17 years are considered overweight or obese, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
“With UnitedHealthcare HEROES, young people in Washington have the wonderful opportunity to not only improve their overall health and quality of life, but the health of their peers as well,” said David Hansen, CEO for UnitedHealthcare’s Northwest Region. “This program gives youth in our community the opportunity to learn about important health issues and create effective, engaging programs that address these issues.”
The HEROES service-learning projects are implemented during the spring semester and will culminate on YSA’s 21st Annual Global Youth Service Day (GYSD), April 23-25, 2010. GYSD provides an opportunity for students to include their projects in a larger, global youth service movement that seeks to improve communities in all 50 states and more than 100 countries.
UnitedHealth Group collaborated with Youth Service America (YSA) to develop the UnitedHealth HEROES program. To date, UnitedHealth Group and YSA have awarded more than $250,000 in grants. A list of all the 2009-2010 grant winners will be available online at www.ysa.org.
Obesity is a critical problem in America. According to the 2009 America’s Health Rankings™, if left unchecked or untreated, obesity will affect 43 percent of adults by 2018 and will add nearly $344 billion in that year alone to the nation’s annual direct health care costs, accounting for more than 21 percent of health care spending. America’s Health Rankings is an annual comprehensive assessment of the nation’s health on a state-by-state analysis. It is published jointly by United Health Foundation, the American Public Health Association and Partnership for Prevention.
More information about the UnitedHealth HEROES program and service-learning is available at www.ysa.org.
About Youth Service America
Youth Service America seeks to improve communities by increasing the number and diversity of young people, ages 5-25, serving in important roles. Founded in 1986, YSA is an international nonprofit resource center that partners with thousands of organizations in more than 100 countries to expand the impact of the youth service movement with families, communities, schools, corporations and governments. For more information: www.ysa.org.About UnitedHealth Group
UnitedHealth Group is a diversified health and well-being company dedicated to making health care work better. Headquartered in Minneapolis, Minn., UnitedHealth Group offers a broad spectrum of products and services through six operating businesses: UnitedHealthcare, Ovations, AmeriChoice, OptumHealth, Ingenix, and Prescription Solutions. Through its family of businesses, UnitedHealth Group serves more than 70 million individuals nationwide.
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