Garwood Named “Healthy Town to Watch”
Submitted by NJ Healthcare Quality Institute
Mobile fresh food markets. Community walks. Weight-loss challenges. Healthy corner stores. Outdoor yoga. Bike trails. Health fairs. These and other innovative programs helped New Jersey communities win recognition through the New Jersey Health Care Quality Institute’s annual Mayors Wellness Campaign “New Jersey Healthy Town” designation.
Garwood, along with 11 other communities participating in the Mayors Wellness Campaign (MWC), a program of the Quality Institute, in partnership with the New Jersey State League of Municipalities, was named a 2019 Healthy Towns to Watch. Seven towns were designated as 2019 Healthy Towns, and five were designated as 2019 Healthy Town Up and Coming.
Each year, communities participating in the MWC complete a comprehensive application outlining the research they’ve done to identify their community health needs, explain how they have organized their local MWC committee, and highlight the actions they’ve taken to make their communities healthier places to live, work, and play.
The Garwood MWC has significant support not only from its current Mayor, but the former Mayor continues to be a driving force for the program as well. In addition to the programs Garwood provides for residents, such as supermarket tours and monthly Walks With the Mayor, Garwood has taken the lead on providing a space for Union County MWCs to come together to collaborate on programming and share best practices.
“Wellness and sustainability are growing concepts at workplaces and schools, so I am extremely proud of Garwood adding our community as a whole to the list of Healthy Towns to Watch. This outstanding accomplishment could not have been possible without the engagement from our residents and from the volunteers on the Mayors Wellness Campaign, led by former Mayor Charles Lombardo,” said Mayor Sara Todisco.
