Moses Lake, a town of 15,000 residents in Eastern Washington, was selected in 2002 by the Washington State Department of Health as a pilot program for the Healthy Communities Project. This initiative, funded through a grant from the federal Centers for Disease Control, seeks to identify barriers to active living on a local level and create remedies.
A task force of community leaders from Moses Lake, including teachers, business representatives, health professionals and government employees, met to identify specific ways to create a healthier community. After a months-long planning process, the committee presented a strategic plan to instill healthy community behaviors through three main methods: building a trail system for walking and biking, encouraging breastfeeding and remove barriers to doing so, and creating community gardens both to provide fresh food and to provide an opportunity for physical activity. Goals for each were set, laying down a timetable and standards for success.
Teams were set up in 2003 to take charge of each of the three goals. Planning and project implementation continued apace throughout 2004. Meanwhile, the state Department of Health started another pilot project in Mount Vernon in 2004 and hopes to continue expanding the program.
Goal
Making Moses Lake a Healthier Place