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Our Health and Wellness issue is a testament to the great work that our members commit to doing for their respective communities, such as providing programming and services designed to help community members achieve better health outcomes. And as the school year draws to a close across the country, parks and recreation is preparing for what’s certain to be a very active — sometimes, demanding — three months. June is the ideal time to shine a light on health equity. After all, many working parents and caregivers rely on park and recreation professionals beyond their summer camp offerings. Some living in under-
invested communities view these agencies as a lifeline to vital resources that help their families supplement their nutritional needs until programs, like the free school lunch program, resume in the fall.
In the cover story, “Community Wellness Hubs in Practice,” NRPA’s Allison Colman, Maureen Neumann and Liliana Ruiz Fischer take a deep dive into why parks and recreation is central to establishing “a fully integrated public health system.” For one thing, through Community Wellness Hubs, park and recreation professionals offer “trusted gathering places that connect every member of the community to essential programs, services and spaces that advance health equity, improve health outcomes and enhance quality of life.” The contributors also offer real-life examples of Community Wellness Hubs that provide essential services, such as “supporting food access, improving food security, connecting people to social resources, and providing evidence-based nutrition education to improve healthy eating behaviors.”
Next, Lindsay Hogeboom, associate editor and writer, shares how parks and recreation can help communities reach specific health and wellness objectives that could potentially increase the average life span of their residents in the feature article, “Getting Into the Blue Zone.” Hogeboom writes that “blue zones” are defined as communities or areas that “have integrated specific health and wellness practices into their daily lives.”
Lastly, contributors Brent Ross and Dylan Fischer discuss how equity played an important role in the design process of Indiana’s West Lafayette Wellness Center in the article, “Making Wellness More Inclusive.” Ross and Fischer write, “Special effort was made to obtain input from groups that are typically underrepresented in community outreach efforts....”
While I know you’ll be working hard making sure that your community members are well-cared for this summer, I urge you to commit to self-care to keep your stress levels down. Because if you’re not tending to your personal health, how do you expect others to follow your lead?
Vitisia Paynich is Executive Editor and Director of Print and Online Content at NRPA.