|
|
|
Just Keep
Pedaling
|
May is National Bike Month, an annual event sponsored by the League of American Bicyclists to encourage individuals and communities to bike. Whether you're an avid daily bike commuter or are trying biking for the first time, National Bike Month is a great opportunity to participate in or organize bike related activities in your community.
Groups and organizations will be hosting all kinds of fun events throughout the month in both
Virginia
and
Maryland
. Don't see any in your city or town? Think about hosting your own using
the
League of American Bicyclists'
National Bike Month Guide
.
Be sure to mark your calendars for upcoming National Bike Month events including:
1) National Bike to Work Day/Week: National Bike to Work Week will be held from May 14-18; however, if you don't feel up for a full week of cycling, trying ending your work week with a bike ride on National Bike to Work Day, May 18th.
2) National Walk and Bike to School Day: Take your kids along for a walk or ride to celebrate National Walk or Bike to School Day on
May 9th. Information and
resources to plan events, promote via social media, and engage
students, teachers, and parents can be found
here.
|
|
Maryland Municipal League Conference
|
2018 Application for MD Cities & Towns:
We want to recognize your city or town at the upcoming
Maryland Municipal League (MML) Summer Conference
. Cities or towns applying for a new recognition level should complete an application by
Friday, May 25th.
If you are applying to become a NEW HEAL city or town, please send in your application by
Monday, May 21st
as we need more time to prepare your new member plaque in time for the conference.
|
|
MML Summer Conference Agenda:
The HEAL Campaign will be in the exhibit hall throughout the MML Conference. We will have information, handouts, badges, and healthy snacks. Stop by to say hi and try our famous infused water!
We will also be hosting a reception for all our new and current MD HEAL Cities and Towns. Join us for refreshments and chance to meet and mingle with your fellow HEAL Campaign leaders. We will be reaching out to our MD HEAL contacts directly, so stay tuned for further information and updates.
If you participated in the event last year, we would love to hear from you! Please email Julia Groenfeldt, HEAL Program Associate, at
[email protected]
with any comments, recommendations, or topics you would like us to include at the reception. We're looking forward to seeing you all there!
|
|
Spotlight of the Month
|
As a new HEAL City, Falls Church is working with a group of active and engaged City staff to assess existing policy and identify areas of improvement to improve health and wellness throughout the City. Committee members used the HEAL Policy Assessment Tool to identify health-related policies
already in place in the City and to determine opportunities and
next
steps. Falls Church is now working with staff to research, plan, and prioritize key policy areas. Read the full
article
here
.
I
nterested in having your city or town featured in an
upcoming Spotlight article? Please send a request to Julia Groenfeldt, HEAL Program and Communications Associate, at
[email protected]
or 202-747-3455.
|
| Tools and Resources |
Webinar | From 8 to 80: Creating Livable Communities for All Ages - America Walks will be hosting a webinar on May 9th at 2PM EST on how communities are engaging in innovative approaches to create walkable communities for all ages. Learn from experts working to provide solutions that will help communities of all sizes create active living opportunities for citizens of all ages and abilities. Register for the webinar
here.
|
Webinar | Implementing Model Practices in Your Community: Health Equity and Access to Healthy Foods Through Community Engagement Efforts- Learn more about innovative approaches to community engagement that lead to equity and access to healthy food. This webinar will feature speakers from the Florida Department of Health in Manatee County and the Kansas City Health Department.
The webinar will be held on May 10 at 1 PM EST. Register for the webinar
here.
|
Rural Food Access Toolkit
- The Rural Health Information Hub offers resources and information focused on developing, implementing, evaluating, and sustaining rural food access and food security programs. The toolkit can be found here. Further resources on general community health strategies can be accessed from the Rural Community Health Toolkit.
|
|
| Funding Opportunity |
Mini-Grant Opportunity for MD Communities -
The Maryland Milestones/ATHA Inc. will be awarding up to $5,000 to non-profits and municipalities within the borders of the Anacostia Trails Heritage Area. Grants are designed to provide seed funding for exhibits, walking tours, signage, tourism planning, and other projects aligned with the themes identified in ATHA's Management Plan. Applications are due on May 16, 2018 by 12:00 PM. Find more information
here
.
|
| About Us |
HEAL is a project of the Institute for Public Health Innovation in
partnership with the Maryland and Virginia Municipal Leagues and funded by Kaiser Permanente, founding partner.
|
|
|
