INITIATIVES IN OUR COMMUNITY…

Developing community environments rich in healthy choices and supportive of the pursuit of health and well-being.

Community Healthy Living Index

The Lombard/Villa Park/Oakbrook Terrace area had the highest rates of overweight and obese students (36%) and the highest percentage of low income students (31.3%) in a study conducted by the FORWARD Initiative in partnership with the DuPage Regional Office of Education and their school districts.  FORWARD had randomly selected 50% of DuPage County public schools to report data from Kindergarten, 6th, and 9th grade physical exam forms. 

To help reverse the obesity trend, Tri-Town YMCA, in partnership with the FORWARD Initiative, is convening an assessment process to measure support for physical activity and healthy eating using a new tool—the Community Healthy Living Index (CHLI)—in Lombard.  CHLI enables community leaders to assess environments at the neighborhood and community levels, including schools, afterschool child care programs, and work sites.  

Developed by YMCA of the USA with researchers from Stanford University, Harvard University, and St. Louis University, CHLI incorporates a review of over one hundred existing assessment tools, input from a prestigious advisory task force, a reiterative review process, and pilot testing. Following the assessment, the accompanying CHLI materials will aid schools, afterschool child care programs, businesses, and neighborhood/community groups in planning for policy and environmental change strategies aimed at identifying and removing barriers and expanding opportunities for healthy living.

Going beyond events and programs to create change at the policy and environment level is what makes the goal of CHLI unique.  Policy level change requires the hard work and dedication of key decision makers across all sectors of our community.   The team of community leaders working in tandem with Tri-Town include: Kim Angland, Lombard Park District, Dr. James Blanche, Lombard Elementary District 44, Josh Chambers, Glenbard East High School, Christine Cliff, West Suburban Dietetic Association (WSDA),  Jerry Cohen, Yorktown Center, Dr. David Dungan, DuPage Medical Group & FORWARD Initiative Liaison, Sandra Hill, First Church of Lombard, Bill Heniff, Bill Mueller, Dana Moreau, Village of Lombard, Yvonne Invergo, Lombard Area Chamber of Commerce, Dave Kundrot, Lombard Police Dept., Dan Whittington, Lombard Town Centre, and Jay Wojcik, Healthy Lombard.

Research has shown that policy approaches such as increasing access to and use of attractive and safe locations for engaging in physical activity, revising school food contracts to include more fruits and vegetables and whole-grain foods, and requiring sidewalks and crossing signals in neighborhoods to make them more pedestrian friendly may be especially important in supporting healthy lifestyles because they benefit a greater number of people than programmatic approaches that aim to change individual behavior one person at a time. Here are a few examples:

• Studies show that people are less willing to walk in their neighborhoods when there is traffic congestion, noise, and the threat of violence.
• Communities that develop pedestrian- and bicycle-friendly infrastructure with links to destinations of interest have more physically active residents.
• Evidence suggests that healthy, active children learn more effectively and achieve more academically.
• Research has shown that accessibility to fruit and vegetables increases consumption of them.
• A study has shown that obesity rates increase as the distance to grocery stores increases.

At the Y, we believe that positive change comes about when we invest in our kids, our health and our neighbors.    The Tri-Town YMCA looks forward to joining with the leaders to further strengthen this community for decades to come.

Collaborations with Community Partners

We work together with other community partners to encourage healthy living in the community.   Recent examples include: 

Implementation of a strength building component, “Operation Pull Your Own Weight” into Tri-Town’s afterschool care program at Manor Hill and Pleasant Lane Schools through a consortium of organizations belonging to Healthy Lombard.  Program expansion is currently underway at Westmore School and Shafer School.

 National Nutrition Month event where West Suburban Dietetic Association (WSDA) involved Tri-Town youth in creating healthy snacks and enjoying fun physical activities while also learning about good nutrition.

Healthy Kids & Families Fair which provided information and personalize sharing of expertise in the areas of safety, nutrition, lifestyle choices, physical activity, and high quality family connections by representatives from the Du Page Medical Group, WSDA nutritionists, a personal trainer, Lombard Police Dept safety specialist, and the Du Page County Health Dept. along with family 3 legged races, Wii play, and a hike around the Four Seasons Park.

Learning and experiencing YMCA fitness and family life programs in conjunction with the Yorktown Farmers Market.