At the Y, we believe that being healthy is a way of life that begins with educating children and their families about healthy lifestyle choices. Since 2008, The Y has partnered with the New Jersey YMCA State Alliance and the Horizon Foundation for New Jersey with “Healthy U,” a program with the goal of combating childhood obesity through nutrition education, physical education and family involvement. The program is part of a statewide effort in New Jersey to tackle the childhood obesity epidemic.
All 40 of our preschool and afterschool programs across Monmouth County include “Healthy U.” The program uses the CATCH (Coordinated Approach to Child Health) curriculum to promote physical activity and good nutrition while showing kids ages 3 -13 that eating healthy and being physically active every day can be fun. This year alone we are impacting over 1,600 children and their families.
On Monday Nov. 11, the Red Bank Charter School, in conjunction with the Y, kicked off the addition of Healthy U to their curriculum. It is the first school in the area to incorporate Healthy U into the school curriculum and one of only 24 in New Jersey.
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“The Y is proud to be at the forefront of addressing childhood obesity,” said The Community YMCA President and CEO Rhonda Anderson. “One in three children are overweight or obese and at risk of developing serious health problems as adults. Through the Healthy U program, we can make a positive impact on youth and their families.”
Rose Mary Mintz, Vice President of Child Achievement at The Community YMCA, said “We are pleased to give Red Bank children and families the support they need for making healthy choices and lifestyle changes.”
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Healthy U is made possible through a grant from The Horizon Foundation for New Jersey, a division of Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield. Since 2008, the Horizon Foundation for New Jersey has invested $3.45 million in the Healthy U initiative.
For more information on this program contact The Community YMCA at 732.671.5505 or Sue Cornell, Healthy U Director, NJ YMCA State Alliance, at sue.cornell@ymca.net, or visit www.njymca.org.
About The Community YMCA
