The Children’s Hospital of Michigan Foundation is dedicated to supporting nutritional wellness programs to benefit children in the community. Thanks to our generous donors, we are able to provide nutritional wellness support to a number of organizations in Michigan.
In honor of nutritional wellness month, we are highlighting a few of our ongoing nutritional wellness initiatives:
Food Insecurity: The food security program aims to help children and families who are struggling with food insecurity. Food insecurities are the lack of consistent access to enough food for an active healthy lifestyle. This issue affects 20-25% of children in the Detroit area. The program will educate, nurses, doctors, and staff on how to screen for food insecurities. It will also aim to make food insecurities screening a requirement for all children admitted to CHM. This program also aims to educate families on where to find resources.
LACH (Leaders Advancing and Helping Communities): LACH is a healthy living program working with children, parents/caregivers and elementary schools to encourage children to develop and establish healthy nutrition and exercise habits at a young age. Children’s Hospital of Michigan Foundation (CHMF) is actively funding the project’s expansion. LACH program plans to reach 500 students from 2nd to 5th grade at four schools in the metro Detroit area. The program is offered at Dossin elementary, Gardner Elementary, Hamilton Academy, and Universal Elementary. The program will also provide schools and families additional resources such as recipes, newsletters and exercise routines to implement the “Healthy Schools Healthy Communities Program”.
Gleaners Community Food Bank: Making Investments in the Lives of Kids (M.I.L.K), will bring all food bank initiatives together to provide healthier foods for children and their families. The goal of the program is to provide the nutrients children need after school to grow strong and healthy. Many children only receive nutrients in meals that they receive in school during the school year. In the food emergency network milk is the least donated item, which for families with food insecurities milk tends to be unaffordable. Not only will CHMF help expand and connect the food banks we will also support gleaners to purchase 43,200 gallons of fresh milk for families.
FitKids 360: Fit kids 360 is an ongoing initiative with the Wayne Children’s Healthcare Access Program (WCHAP). The goal of the program is to increase activity, improve diets, reduce screen time and to increase behavior in children for longer and healthier lives. By far the program has reached 239 kids with 50 graduates from the program and a 90% retention rate. FitKids 360 is working to expand their program. They Plan to hold four FitKids 360 sessions during the school year and one FitKids 360 On the Move 12-week program during the summer.
To support nutritional wellness and programs like these please visit:
