(upbeat music)
- The main mission of
ALProHealth is to reduce
and decrease obesity in Alabama.
We have 14 counties that
are high risk in terms
of adult obesity and
that means that they have
40 percent or more
adult obesity.
And so, through a grant with
The Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention to the Alabama
Cooperative Extension Service
through Auburn
University, we work with
evidence-based
strategies to reduce
the incidence of obesity.
ALProHealth works with
14 communities in Alabama
through a really neat mechanism,
it's all grassroots-driven
and it's done by
coalition members working
together to identify
issues that they
have in their county
and then what strategies
they want to use to implement
and to make the
reduction in obesity.
What's kind of unique
about it is that
they're all 14
rural communities.
So, a lot of the
evidence-based strategies
have not really been done
in rural communities,
they're typically
done in urban areas.
So, it's a really unique trial
that we have going
on in Alabama.
- ALProHealth has
worked with 14 counties
to look at initiatives
to address for
its food access and
physical activity.
Some of those activities that
we have addressed have been
things like working to
enhance existing parks.
We have also looked at
enhancing food banks,
making food healthier in
some of the food pantries.
We also have established
existing farmers market
or even have put in
place farmers markets
in some of the 14 counties,
so we are striving
to make food more
accessible, affordable,
and healthier for people
to have a place to exercise
and be able to partake in
family engagement activities.
ALProHealth encourages their
counties to participate
by making sure that we have
movers and shakers at the
table, what I mean by that,
community leaders are
community representatives
from each of the communities.
Those community
leaders are invited
to be engaged in workshops,
trainings, and so forth
and with that in part,
we try to make sure
each community has
a face at the table
to make sure those
initiatives are addressed.
So, we try to engage everyone
from community leaders
to city leaders to civic groups,
faith-based organizations,
anyone who is willing
to be involved.
- ALProHealth has affected
the city of Eufaula
by providing funding
that has created
these wonderful opportunities
for our citizens
to get out, spend quality
time with their family,
and get some great exercise.
Some of the great projects
that they've worked on
is our Playground of
Dreams, they're also
working on a new splash pad,
our farmers market program
has been excellent.
Hopefully there'll
be more funding
so we can work on
more projects that
help our community and county.
- ALProHealth has helped
the community gardens
by being the vital piece to
start the community gardens.
Community and school
gardens are crucial
to a healthy community.
- School gardens are important,
especially to teach our
youth about farming.
Over the years we've
kind of lost that
and this way, it
shows them hands-on
where the food comes
from, how it's grown.
Students in the community
and their parents
give community hours by
helping plant, harvest.
ALProHealth has really
helped school gardens,
community gardens by funding,
partnering with extensions
really helps out because
we have a lot of people
that's experts and they
can kind of help us out,
as far as what to
plant, when to plant,
what diseases to
treat of the plant,
and they have that expertise
that can really help us out.
- The Cooperative Extension
is a national program
sponsored by the US
Department of Agriculture.
There's probably a
county extension office
located in every single
county in the United States.
Our goal is to improve the
quality of life of citizens
through education and
other types of initiatives.
- [Lorena] Extension
has all the resources to
reach the community and all
the professionals needed to
small communities,
like this one,
to make communities stronger.
(bright music)
- [Sharon] ALProHealth
has really come along
and made the
counties in Alabama,
I just won't say the counties,
the State of Alabama,
a better place to live.
We have really addressed
a lot of initiatives
that some agencies have
not been able to tackle
but, through our agency, we
have been able to do that.
And along those lines,
we're gonna take
one strategy at a
time and continue to
work towards the goal
and that is to
have Alabama not in
the top percentile for obesity.
- The future is bright
for ALProHealth.
It's really neat to see all
these pockets of change
going on in Alabama.
And, you know, some
day, all these changes,
these pockets, they're
slowly gonna bleed together
and our whole culture is
gonna be a healthier culture
and we're gonna live
well in Alabama.
(bright, cheerful music)
