STPH Earns Grant for Healthy Mothers and Children
STPH Earns Grant for Healthy Mothers and Children
COVINGTON – St. Tammany Parish Hospital’s Community Wellness Center was awarded a National WIC Grant, through the St. Tammany Hospital Foundation, to participate in the “Community Partnership for Healthy Mothers and Children.” This initiative strives to increase access to healthy food options in the local community and will include three programs, Eat Fit Northshore, community gardens and grocery store tours.
“This grant is an excellent opportunity to bring healthy choices to our community,” said Sandy Matthews, head of the Community Wellness Center. “It will not only help our WIC participants, but everyone in the local area.”
Eat Fit Northshore will engage restaurants in the Mandeville and Covington areas to create food options that meet the Eat Fit criteria, which include restrictions on calories, sodium and sugar. Participating chefs will work with dieticians, nutritionists, nurses and Southeastern Louisiana University interns to create these healthier options. Dakota and Copeland’s in Covington currently have Eat Fit options on their menus that live up to their taste standards.
Families and local gardeners will work with the Community Wellness Center to create community gardens in both Mandeville and Covington. There will be three locations, including the Covington YMCA, the Parenting Center and a site in Mandeville. They will also be helping to expand an existing community garden on West 25th Street in Covington.
Local grocery store tours will teach parents how to identify truly nutritious food throughout the grocery store. This includes how to read the nutrition labels quickly, as well as how to choose produce that is fresh and inexpensive. The next grocery store tour will be held August 14 at 11 a.m. at the Claiborne Hill Rouses.
Each of these programs will give the members of our community information and better access to healthy food options. For more information about these programs please contact the Community Wellness Center at 985-871-6078 or visit stph.org.
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A full-service acute care facility committed to providing world-class healthcare and the latest technology, St. Tammany Parish Hospital delivers today’s life-improving procedures with the utmost care to area residents with emphasis on wellness, preventive care and disease management close to home. STPH is a self-supporting not-for-profit community hospital; it receives no ad valorem tax funding. STPH.org