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First Lady Michelle Obama's Let's Move Faith and Communities

February 13, 2012 at 6:33 PM ET by Max Finberg
Summary: 
Max Finberg, Director of the Center for Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships at the U.S. Department of Agriculture, writes on the First Lady's Let's Move! video challenge to faith-based and community groups.

Today, First Lady Michelle Obama announced the Communities on the Move video challenge! Your faith-based or community group is invited to create an inspiring video about your efforts to reverse the trend of childhood obesity. The challenge recognizes community efforts that promote healthy lifestyles for kids in three areas: by encouraging nutritious eating through USDA’s MyPlate icon, increasing physical activity, and by ensuring access to healthy, affordable foods.

“America’s faith communities play a crucial role in guiding and strengthening not only our spiritual health, but our emotional and physical health as well,” said First Lady Michelle Obama. “Over the past two years, I’ve been inspired by all of the faith leaders and congregations who have taken action to get active and eat healthier, and so we’re launching our Let’s Move! video contest to highlight some of the best examples.  I know there’s so much incredible work being done – and I can’t wait to hear some of these stories first-hand at the White House.”

The video challenge is an opportunity share your community’s story or to inspire your community to begin writing one! Tell us about how you are empowering families, congregations, and communities to make better choices to improve the health of our nation’s children. Winners will be invited to Washington, D.C. for a Let’s Move! event where they will have a special opportunity to showcase their video.

Students at Mt. Carmel-Holy Rosary Promote Healthy Living

Students at Mt. Carmel-Holy Rosary promote health living. February 11, 2012.

To help you get started, we’ve put together a MyPlate Community Toolkit that has simple messages you can communicate to energize your community and organize others to join you. It’s also filled with stories of how people across the country have been moving towards a healthier future.  

For example, despite limited resources and budget constraints, Mt. Carmel-Holy Rosary School is teaching students about healthy eating through MyPlate. Under the instruction of a registered dietitian, Mt. Carmel-Holy Rosary has turned in-class nutrition lessons into a school musical! Just a few years ago, this small Catholic school in East Harlem nearly closed due to declining enrollment and inadequate funding, but its principal led a community-wide effort to revitalize the school by recruiting high caliber teachers, developing a plethora of enrichment programs, and creating a positive, family-oriented school culture.The school is now an exemplary educational institution championing a school wellness in exciting, creative ways.

Be sure to check out more Let’s Move Faith and Communities success stories for how for more ideas on getting active, healthy eating, and making healthy food affordable and accessible to your community. The Communities on the Move video challenge is a part of Let’s Move Faith and Communities, launched by First Lady Michelle Obama to engage faith-based and community organizations in Let’s Move! to raise a healthier generation of kids.  To sign up for our network of supporters, visit us online.

More from the Let's Move tour:
 

Max Finberg serves as Director of the Center for Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships at the U.S. Department of Agriculture