April 14, 2010

Oregon consistently has one of the highest hunger rates in the nation. A rising number of children in Oregon is also facing childhood obesity.

At the Parks Bureau, our motto is "Healthy Parks, Healthy Portland." We work hard to provide free and easily-accessible green spaces to help Portlanders stay healthy and happy.

We're constantly looking for ways to have a positive impact on community health, especially for the youngest among us. Parks offers a number of programs that are part of our community's safety net: we partner with Loaves & Fishes to offer meals through our Senior Recreation Program; we worked to expand the footprint of the Portland Farmer's Market this year; our Community Gardens Initiative will provide Portlanders more opportunities to grow food; and our new "Healthy Snack" policy will bring healthier snacks to our facilities.

Healthy eating is essential to the growth and development of our kids. By becoming a sponsor of an At-Risk Meal and Snack Program, Parks will receive federal funding to provide nutritious meals and snacks to kids in low-income areas. This program will help us 

encourage healthy eating as a part of the educational and enrichment programs we offer in our after school programs.

For more on the hunger challenges facing Oregon and what how we are working with partners around the state to address them, visit the Oregon Hunger Task Force website.

Thanks to flickr user sebastien.b for the photo!