We would like to THANK this year’s conference sponsors. Due to losing our state funding last year we are especially thankful for their support! Without these groups, we wouldn’t be able to provide this great training for Kentuckians with disabilities, their families and networks.
Health and Fitness for All grant The Arc KY Local Announcement Draft – 2-6-18 (1)
For Immediate Release
Contact: Sherri Brothers 502-875-5225
February 6, 2018
Kentucky Chapters of The Arc Awarded $15,000 Grant from Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield for Health and Fitness for All Project
Frankfort, KY – Chapters of The Arc in Kentucky are pleased to announce they have received $15,000 of funding from Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield to support the Health and Fitness for All project. This grant is made possible thanks to an almost $88,000 national grant from the Anthem Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Anthem, Inc. The project’s training curriculum was developed by the University of Illinois at Chicago, and provides overall structured information on how to organize and start a tailored physical activity and health education program for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD). The award will be used to conduct this health project at four chapters certified in the HealthMatters curriculum in Kentucky including The Arc of Kentucky, The Arc of Central Kentucky, The Arc of Barren County and The Pointe Arc in Northern Kentucky. The program will also be carried out in Texas and Wisconsin this year.
In 2016, The Arc received comparable funding for this initiative from the Anthem Foundation to carry out the program in Texas and Tennessee. The program resulted in roughly half of participants reporting a healthy blood pressure, along with 71% of participants revealing increased knowledge of healthy foods and healthy behaviors. Drawing on a very successful first year, four chapters in Kentucky have been chosen to implement the 12-week program with a drive to increase results to approximately 75 participants.
“A healthy lifestyle is important for everyone, especially people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The Arc of Kentucky is grateful to have the very generous support from Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield. This support enables The Arc Kentucky to continue to provide training opportunities and programs, like Health and Fitness for All, that will help individuals with I/DD make healthier choices,” said Sherri Brothers, Interim Executive Director.
According to the Centers for Disease Control, adults with disabilities have a 58% higher rate of obesity than adults without disabilities due to certain challenges individuals face with I/DD related to eating healthy, maintaining weight and being physically active. Nonetheless, since
2012, The Arc has continued to reach over 700 participants with the use of the HealthMatters curriculum and provided those with I/DD the tools and resources needed to lead healthier lives.
“We’re pleased to team with The Arc to continue to support their efforts to ensure all individuals, regardless of their abilities, have access to information that encourages a healthier lifestyle,” said Divya Cantor, MD, chief medical officer at Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in Kentucky. “The results of their program are further evidence of the value they bring to the communities they serve to help create a healthier generations of Americans.”
The Arc advocates for and serves people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD), including Down syndrome, autism, Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders, cerebral palsy and other diagnoses. The Arc has a network of more than 665 chapters across the country promoting and protecting the human rights of people with I/DD and actively supporting their full inclusion and participation in the community throughout their lifetimes and without regard to diagnosis.
Editor’s Note: The Arc is not an acronym; always refer to us as The Arc, not The ARC and never ARC. The Arc should be considered as a title or a phrase.
About Anthem Foundation
The Anthem Foundation is the philanthropic arm of Anthem, Inc. and through charitable contributions and programs, the Foundation promotes the inherent commitment of Anthem, Inc. to enhance the health and well-being of individuals and families in communities that Anthem, Inc. and its affiliated health plans serve. The Foundation focuses its funding on strategic initiatives that address and provide innovative solutions to health care challenges, as well as promoting the Healthy Generations Program, a multi-generational initiative that targets specific disease states and medical conditions. These disease states and medical conditions include: prenatal care in the first trimester, low birth weight babies, cardiac morbidity rates, long term activities that decrease obesity and increase physical activity, diabetes prevalence in adult populations, adult pneumococcal and influenza vaccinations and smoking cessation. The Foundation also coordinates the company’s year-round Associate Giving program which provides a 50 percent match of associates’ pledges, as well as its Volunteer Time Off and Dollars for Doers community service programs. To learn more about the Anthem Foundation, please visit http://www.anthem.foundation and its blog at http://anthemfoundation.tumblr.com.
