CCSR to be evaluators for $2.4 million Community Transition Grant CCSR to be evaluators for $2.4 million Community Transition Grant

Wichita State's Center for Community Support and Research has been chosen as the evaluator for a $2.4 million Community Transition Grant from the Department of Health and Human Services to the Greater Wichita YMCA on behalf of the Health and Wellness Coalition of Wichita. The Health and Wellness Coalition is one of 40 recipients of this grant in the United States.

The Community Transition Grant is targeted at impacting the health and wellness of the Wichita community through addressing nutrition, physical activity, obesity and tobacco use.

CCSR, which worked closely with the YMCA and the Health and Wellness Coalition to help with the grant application, will use a multi-method approach to evaluating such coalition efforts as: 1) developing master bike and pedestrian plans to encourage physical activity, 2) enhancing a breastfeeding in the workplace initiative, 3) providing mini-grants to food pantries and soup kitchens for the purchase of refrigerators for healthy perishable food storage, 4) working with farmer's markets to provide Electronic Benefits Transfer machines that will provide greater access to healthy foods for low-income persons, 5) funding signage for local parks and community housing sites regarding prohibition of tobacco use in those areas, and 6) assessing the need for healthy foods across various areas of the city.

CCSR Director, Scott Wituk said: "The Health and Wellness Coalition includes more than 75 organizations, businesses and schools who are committed to promoting physical activity and healthy eating in the Wichita area. They have been doing great work for years and this grant highlights their growth and accomplishments. We are happy to play a small role in this community effort."

For more information about CCSR's evaluation, contact CCSR's research and evaluation coordinator Tara Gregory at 978-3714 or tara.gregory@wichita.edu.