Food & Fitness Community Partnerships

This book describes many of the unique contributions of the Food & Fitness program including a number of early successes, drawing lessons from efforts to form and maintain partnerships, and from the strategies employed to create structural change in communities. This important study introduces the Food and Fitness community partnerships and their work to increase access to healthy, locally grown food, and opportunities for physical activity, in vulnerable communities across the United States. Established in 2007 and funded by the WK Kellogg Foundation, the partnerships are increasing the capacity of communities to participate in policy and systems change to positively affect their health and well-being. The material covered in the chapters provide an illustration of how funders, grantees, and partners can work together to create sustainable change at the neighborhood level to ensure that all children and families are able to thrive. A range of studies ae looked at from the various initiatives funded nationwide to evaluation methods and results, and an explanation of the role of philanthropy in community development from the viewpoint of the funders. This book was originally published as a special issue ofCommunity Development.

Laurie Lachance, is an Associate Research Scientist and Evaluation Director of the Center for Managing Chronic Disease. She has led several large-scale, multi-site chronic disease presentation and management evaluation projects, and utilizes community-based approaches to health, creating opportunities for individual health behavior change leading to changes in health disparities.

Laurie Carpenter, is a senior research associate at the Center for Managing Chronic Disease, experienced in research and evaluation of chronic disease management and prevention programs. She has provided leadership and support for several multi-site projects, with particular experience in collaborative evaluation, community-based public health initiatives, and technical assistance.

Mary Emery, is a professor of Sociology and Community Development. Her research focuses on community vitality, social and cultural capital, demographic challenges in Indian Country, and the application of systems theory to community change. Her research and service outreach includes improving evaluation and monitoring tools for community change work, applying the community capitals to asset mapping and development, and assessing the impact of community change work.

Mia Luluquisen, is Deputy Director of Community Assessment, Planning, and Evaluation at the Alameda County Public Health Department. She has a long commitment to community capacity building and applied research for social action, providing training and technical assistance in program planning, evaluation research, community health education, strategic planning and organizational development to institutions and organizations around the world.