Healthy Food Access and Nutrition Security
Local park and recreation agencies serve as Community Wellness Hubs. In this role, park and recreation agencies provide vital and community-driven programs and services that address the diverse health and well-being needs of all people, including promoting access to healthy food and nutrition security. NRPA supports park and recreation agencies and their community-based partners as they work to increase access to healthy food and nutrition solutions through resources, case studies, and ready-to-use toolkits.
Strategies to Advance Healthy Food Access and Nutrition Security
There are a number of ways park and recreation professionals and the agencies they serve can support food access and nutrition literacy. Explore resources to assist your community's health and well-being.
Parks as Community Wellness Hubs
To address today's public health and social challenges and achieve health equity, we are committed to leveraging the full power of parks and recreation to ensure all people have access to high-quality, inclusive and holistic programs, services and spaces across seven dimensions of well-being.
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Parks and Recreation and Farmers Markets
Farmers Markets and Parks and Rec are the perfect pair! These resources can help you bring the bounty of local produce to your community.
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HEPA Standards
The Healthy Eating Physical Activity (HEPA) standards were created by a national coalition of out-of-school time leaders to create evidence-based, practical values that foster the best possible nutrition and physical activity outcomes for children in grades K-12 attending out-of-school time programs.
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SNAP and WIC Outreach Toolkit
Agencies can integrate SNAP and WIC food assistance programs into their park and recreation space using NRPA’s online toolkit.
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Community at the Table: Creating Culturally Responsive Nutrition Education
Best practices and key recommendations for agencies to provide culturally responsive and trauma-informed nutrition education.
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Foods of the Month Nutrition Literacy Curriculum
Explore healthy fruits, vegetables and other food groups each month with the Commit to Health: Foods of the Month nutrition literacy curriculum! The curriculum is specifically designed for park and recreation agencies and all materials are free and downloadable.
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Cultural Relevance in Parks and Recreation
Park and recreation agencies are creating culturally responsive programming and the successes, challenges and lessons they’ve learned.
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Community and Home Gardening
Gardening is a great way to educate youth and families about where healthy food comes from. Each month, explore a different gardening topic with educational resources and hands on experiences with growing, cooking, and eating healthy produce and creating sustainable gardening systems.
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Parks, Recreation and Healthcare: Partnerships to Advance Community Wellness Hubs
Park and recreation agencies have a unique opportunity to contribute to local food and nutrition systems by serving as Community Wellness Hubs. Agencies can engage key community players and coordinate services that expand access to and quality of food and nutrition services, while connecting people to additional health and social resources.
DOWNLOADFood Access in Action
Check out the impact that our community wellness hubs have made across the country.
Community Wellness Hubs Video Playlist
A curated list of videos highlighting the role parks and recreation agencies play in food access and nutrition security.