To achieve this objective, priority recommendations include increasing the consumption of vegetables and fruits, assuring that worksites provide healthful foods and beverages, and assuring that K-12 schools provide healthful foods and beverages.

The description below illustrates what organizations and communities are doing to increase access to health promoting foods.

SB 5436 requires the WA State School Board Directors Association (WSSDA) to develop a model nutrition and physical activity policy by January 2005. Local school districts must adopt a model policy by August 2005.
Target audience: WA State local school boards
Evaluation: The number of school districts with a model policy. The method to do this has not been determined. The results of several pilot policy surveillance projects in King County will provide insight into methods that can be used to track and monitor implementation. The other issue is how to measure the quality or effectiveness of school policies in place.
Partners: WSSDA is collaborating with the Department of Health, OSPI, and the WA Alliance For Health, PE, Recreation and Dance (WAHPERD).
Lead agency role: DOH provides technical assistance and resources to local and state partners to implement the WA State Nutrition asnd Physical Activity Plan.
For more information:
Ruth Abad
Tel: 360-236-3702
Fax: 360-753-9100


Senior Services of Seattle/King County began incorporating locally grown fruits and vegetables into its hot lunch program for seniors in June 2004. By purchasing locally grown fresh produce, Senior Services hopes to encourage increased consumption of fruits and vegetables among meal participants, increase participation in the lunch program, create an environment conducive to nutrition and food systems education, and provide a direct sales market for Washington farmers. Local produce will be purchased from June through September.
Target audience: Senior congregate meal participants
Evaluation: Full program evaluation, including measures of fruit and vegetable intake, meal participation, organizational feasibility, and financial sustainability will be completed in fall 2004.

Partners: Senior Services partnered with Pike Place Market to utilize their expertise and relationship with local growers to facilitate ordering, delivery, and communication between farmers and Senior Services' central kitchen.

Lead agency role: Senior Services provides a variety of services that support the independence of of seniors, including the Congregate Nutrition and Meals on Wheels programs.
For more information:
Mary Podrabsky
Tel: 206-727-6240
Fax: 206-448-5756

Conference attendees will take back hands-on, ready to use ideas to improve the health of the employees through policy and environmental changes in their respective work places. Attendees will: 1) Learn how policy and environmental changes can impact health and productivity; 2) Stock your tool kit with strategies, ideas and resources for building a healthy worksite; and 3) Discover new opportunities to fund your worksite program. This conference is also known as the Evergreen Everwell Conference and will take place in November 2004.
Target audience: Worksite wellness coordinators, human resource managers.
Evaluation: The conference itself will have an evaluation form. Recipients of Dairy Council, Association of Washington Cities and DOH mini-grants will have an evaluation built in and will be developed in the coming months.
Partners: Association of Washington Cities, Washington State Dairy Council, Washington State Department of Health, American Cancer Society, Association of Washington Businesses.
Lead agency role: The Washington State Dairy Council is a team of nutrition professionals devoted to the promotion of lifelong health and enjoyment of food through leadership in nutrition education. We encourage food selection patterns, which include dairy foods, in accordance with the USDA Food Guide Pyramid and other currently accepted scientific recommendations.
For more information:
Linda Mendoza
Tel: 425-744-1616
Fax: 425-670-1222

This back to school sack lunch promotion will encourage healthy choices for lunches focusing on the under consumed food groups of fruits, vegetables and dairy. Preferred card shoppers will be entered in a sweepstakes to win a $1000 Albertson's gift card with every purchase of dairy or produce. Tag line: Keep it simple, keep it fresh, keep it healthy. Think Inside the Bag booklets will be available in stores for free.

The promotion will run for the month of September in conjunction with 5-a-day month. The below four organizations will do print and or radio advertising for the promotion.
Target audience: Albertson's Preferred Card shoppers, mothers.
Evaluation: We will be able to track dairy and produce sales and numbers of booklets taken.
Partners: Albertson's, Washington State Dairy Council, Heart of Washington, Department of Health.
Lead agency role: The Washington State Dairy Council is a team of nutrition professionals devoted to the promotion of lifelong health and enjoyment of food through leadership in nutrition education. We encourage food selection patterns, which include dairy foods, in accordance with the USDA Food Guide Pyramid and other currently accepted scientific recommendations.
For more information:
Linda Mendoza
Tel: 425-744-1616
Fax: 425-670-1222


This publication was supported by Grant/Cooperative Agreement Number U58/CCU019291 from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Its contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the CDC.


Last updated: March 19, 2005 18:38