In February Dallas Center received a Healthy Hometown award at the Healthiest State Initiative ceremony, including a $5,000 grant from the Wellmark insurance company that will further the community’s work in improving the physical, social and emotional health of those who live and work in Dallas Center.
DeSoto and Clive are also Healthy Hometown participants, and Granger might be next.
What has Dallas Center done that could be replicated in other small towns? Making healthy foods more accessible is a key area for Healthy Hometown participants.
A grocery store in Dallas Center purposefully expanded its selection of fresh produce, even adding additional cooler space to accommodate more fruits and vegetables.
In cooperation with the Dallas Center-Grimes school system, six vegetable gardens are tended by third graders. Growing their own fresh vegetables has provided these students with a new appreciation of where food comes from and how to prepare it.
A third healthy food project for Dallas Center is hosting a Hunger Free Dallas County pop-up produce stand, which offers very low-cost fruits and vegetables to anyone.
Another Dallas Center Healthy Hometown initiative is a playground, parking lot and sidewalks that offer recreational space for all persons, including those with mobility challenges.
Ann Cochran is the health navigation coordinator in the Dallas County Public Health Department.
