Pictured left: A scene from the NRPA video, “Transportation Increases Access to Health Meals in Arkansas”

This blog post was originally published on the Urban Libraries Council blog.

In the midst of COVID-19 and a racial justice awakening, more and more people have come to rely on the essential infrastructure, services and programs that community-based institutions provide to address growing economic and educational disparities, increasing rates of mental health disorders and a host of other ongoing public health and social challenges. Two treasured institutions in particular, our local public libraries and our local parks and recreation agencies, have emerged as vital partners in confronting these pressing challenges which demand equitable, community-driven and innovative solutions that meet people where they are.

The National Recreation and Park Association – the nation’s leading nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing local parks, recreation and environmental conservation efforts that enhance the quality of life for all people – believes that parks and recreation, libraries and other community-based institutions are vital, upstream solutions that directly improve the conditions where people live, learn, work and play. These organizations play a critical role as Community Wellness Hubs — 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 overall quality of life.

Cross-sector and cross-disciplinary partnerships are key to this vision and institutions are increasingly leveraging their unique resources, strengths and assets to collaborate and work towards the shared goals of advancing equity, promoting health and wellness, closing the opportunity gap and building environmental and community resiliency. In fact, a recent survey of the parks and recreation field conducted by NRPA found that 58% of agencies partner with local libraries in support of health and wellness programs and services.

Recognizing the value of these partnerships, NRPA has recently begun directly supporting joint efforts between parks and recreation agencies and library systems to build solutions to health and socio-economic challenges. In the Little Rock area — like so many other U.S. cities — one of the biggest challenges many residents face is having access to reliable, consistent and safe transportation. For many families, a lack of private or public transportation in the summer months can mean the difference between their kids accessing enough food, staying engaged with peers, receiving academic support, moving their bodies and connecting to positive relationships with role models and mentors.

With support from the Walmart Foundation, NRPA provided grant funding to a cross-sector partnership between the Central Arkansas Library System, Rock Region METRO, Little Rock Parks and Recreation Department and the Be Mighty METRO program to launch a city-wide transportation initiative. With more than 90% of the city’s summer meal sites at libraries, parks and community centers directly served by existing bus routes, the partners developed a strategy to provide bus passes to youth and families in support of their transportation needs during the summer months.

While there were high hopes for this program, the success was even greater than expected. That summer, pass holders took over 12,000 rides on the public transportation system with over 1,600 individuals registering for bus passes. The number of summer meals served at libraries increased by 46% (compared to June 2018) and the CALS summer reading numbers also grew substantially, from 7,733 youth engaged in 2018 to 13,652 in 2019. This unique program has lived on and the partnership between CALS and Little Rock Parks and Recreation has continued to evolve and grow, with efforts more recently focused on connecting community members to Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits by piloting a SNAP navigator initiative in which AmeriCorps Associates, CALS staff and parks and recreation professionals are trained to provide SNAP enrollment support at meal sites and community events.