New London Receives $80K To Develop Nutrition Program

NEW LONDON, CT – New London has received an $80,000 grant to develop a community nutrition hub to expand access to healthy foods through parks and recreation services.

The gift is part of a $2.5 million grant the National Recreation and Park Association received from the Walmart Foundation to build capacity in park and recreation agencies across the county. The agencies will serve as intentional community nutrition hubs to improve health outcomes for community members.

New London Recreation will collaborate with the New London Senior Center, FRESH Community Gardens, TVCCA, NLPS Child Nutrition Program and the NL Farmer's Market to help increase access to health foods, provide connections to social services and increase health literacy for community members. Other services will include after school programs, "snack garden" beds, farmers market vouches and more.

In the United States, one in six children and older adults experience daily struggles with food insecurity. Families are challenged by unfair policies and system that result in socio-economic disparities and limit access to transportation, quality education and safe and healthy environments, which can decrease life expectancy by up to 30 years, according to the National Recreation and Park Association.