Medford Health Matters Awards Grants to Local Groups

Medford Health Matters (MHM) has awarded two grants to community-based organizations to provide new services for middle school students in the city.

The Medford Family Network will present a series of programs for the parents and teachers of middle school students. The series will be open to parents across the community and include “Stepping into Adolescence,” “STEP/Teen” and “Parenting with Style.” A special program will also be offered for Haitian families. Teachers will be welcome at all of these offerings in the hopes that discussion will emerge between parents and teachers that make school and home life for adolescents in Medford better for everyone.

“The Medford Family Network is well respected for its work with families of young children. Now parents of middle school age children will be offered a program to learn more about social/emotional growth, setting limits, and improving communication with their middle schoolers,” said Jean Barry-Sutherland, a board member of Medford Health Matters.

The second grant has been awarded to Hallmark Health for “Healthy Kids in Motion.” This program will be offered to every sixth grader in the Medford Public Schools. It will combine nutrition and fitness information with activities. Principles of the five-week program will be carried on through regular health and physical education classes throughout the year so that students have the chance to make changes in eating and fitness practices.

“Hallmark Health’s “Healthy Kids In Motion” program puts talk about healthy lifestyle into practice for every sixth grader at the Andrews and McGlynn Middle Schools. The program also includes a couple of evening meetings that will allow parents and teachers to be actively involved and improve their own healthy lifestyles. The adult piece encourages the whole family to get moving!” said Barry-Sutherland.

Collaborating partnerships were a requirement of the grant applications and each of the winning teams will involve other community and school organizations in their efforts.

These grants came out of a strategic planing effort that MHM engaged in last year. Funding for both of these efforts comes from Mt. Auburn Hospital and the state’s Determination of Need process. In addition to the middle school initiative, MHM is also planning to award grants that will provide new opportunities for seniors. We are very excited about this new effort and will report to the community on how these programs are progressing.

Medford Health Matters addresses many different issues that affect the health and well-being of everyone who lives, works, studies or plays in Medford. For more information, please visit www.medfordhealthmatters.org.