Pineridge HEAL

Community Champion

Pineridge HEAL (Healthy Eating and Active Living) is made up of community residents interested in the problem of childhood obesity and what they can do about it in their community

Why is physical activity important to you?

Pineridge HEAL understands that childhood obesity is a result of an imbalance of energy going in (as food) and energy going out (as physical activity). In the past decade, many changes have taken place in our social and physical environments that make it hard to be physically active. The purpose of Pineridge HEAL is to increase awareness of healthy eating and active living resources and opportunities for Pineridge families and promote the use of these resources and opportunities to help them eat healthy and live actively.

Why have you chosen to promote PA in the public/community?

We know that educating individuals and families is important but we also know that most of a child’s day is spent outside of their home environment in other settings like school, childcare, friend’s houses, community centre etc. These other environments have an influence on what a child may eat and how active he or she may be. We want to impact both social and physical environments and try and make it easier for people in Pineridge to make healthier choices. Therefore, we focused on a strategy that looks beyond the individuals and family, and to the community.

Can you describe some of the things you have done to promote physical activity in your community?

We have partnered with the Pineridge Community Association to ensure healthy eating and active living is incorporated into all community events offered by the Association to the community. One example of this was creating a scavenger hunt at the annual stampede breakfast that exposed over 150 families to physical activity opportunities in the Pineridge community. Lunch with Santa and Family day celebrations are regular events that we partake in.
We have developed a brochure with a map that outlines physical activity opportunities (and healthy eating) in the Pineridge community, to be distributed in June 2006.
We have partnered with YMCA, Boys and Girls Club, Community Association, Village Square Leisure Centre, the City to join forces to promote physical activity at monthly events. This was a kickstart to partnering with the already existing, well established community events running.
Worked with Pineridge community schools to offer Be Fit for Life programming at each school providing opportunity for physical activity to all school children.
Contribute healthy eating and active living articles to school newsletters, and do presentations to students and parent council groups as requested.
Promoted physical activity to 60 girl guide's at their "Baden Powel Thinking day"
Developing a resource for parents who come to the Parent Link Centre, "A toolbox for promoting health" to include ways for families to incorporate physical activity and healthy eating into their day.
Planted a community garden plot, of which the food produced was donated to the Food Bank

What does the concept of 'giving back to the community' mean to you, and how have you done this?

For every action, there is a reaction – in order to give back you must be willing to take as well. Our group has achieved this by taking the resources available to all Pineridge residents and presented these in various forms to our participants. By showing these options to just one person who then shares his/her new activity and healthy lifestyle to a friend, then we all have truly given back to our community and an infinite expansion of a single idea is born.

What is the one thing that you feel is your most important contribution to your community?

Ongoing education and promotion of places to be active right in our own backyard – it doesn’t have to cost a dime to be active. Our group has also included education on healthy eating and believe that the two – healthy eating and active living – are dependent on each other.