The Governor’s Foundation for Health and Wellness is a nonprofit, 501(c)(3) corporation dedicated to enabling and encouraging Tennesseans to lead healthier lives. Based in Nashville, the Foundation brings together a statewide coalition of employers, health insurers, hospital systems, local governments, school systems and healthcare-focused foundations and community organizations to effect positive, measurable change.

The Foundation’s Healthier Tennessee initiative strives to increase the number of Tennesseans who are physically active for at least 30 minutes five times a week, promote a healthy diet, and reduce the number of people who use tobacco. The Foundation is funded through a combination of public and private-sector sources and is guided by a board of directors. A staff of eight professionals has been assembled to direct the Foundation and implement the Healthier Tennessee initiative.

The Town of Arlington would like to seek this official designation to help current and future residents, as well as visitors know that we value the importance of a healthy lifestyle within our community.

Healthy Arlington’s Initiatives and Measures would like to include:

Physical Activity

• Implement GoNoodle in 80% of elementary school classrooms.

• Increase participation numbers in Community races.

• Incorporate physical activity into the planning and design of all city improvements-structurally and outdoors (e.g. Incorporate pedestrian and bike lanes, as well as sidewalks, into street planning).

Healthy Eating

• Plant and Promote community gardens, including gardens at schools.

• Work with school nutrition staff for schools to participate in Smarter Lunchroom Training.

• Recognize and promote restaurants that offer healthy options.

Tobacco Cessation

• Promote the Tennessee Tobacco Quit Line 1-800-QUIT-NOW (1-800-784-8669).

Community Implementation

• REQUIRED: Create a campaign to get a targeted number of workplaces to use Small Starts @ Work or implement and sustain a measurable wellness program on their own.

• REQUIRED: Create a campaign to get a targeted number of faith communities to use Small Starts @ Worship or implement a sustained wellness program for their members.

Measure: Total number of workplaces and faith communities that have implemented and sustained measurable wellness programs.

• REQUIRED: Have at least one HTC Banner hanging in a prominent place in the community throughout the year.

Optional Examples:

• Get at least 50% of child-care facilities certified as Gold Sneaker facilities through the TN Department of Health. (http://tn.gov/health/article/goldsneaker-policies) Measure: Total number of certified locations.

• Create a campaign to increase the number of Streaks for Small Starts app downloads within your zip code. Measure: Total number of Streaks users.

• Create a campaign to link families to Small Starts for Families. Measure: Total number of Small Starts for Families users in your area.

• Implement at least one public improvement infrastructure per year that supports active living, healthy eating, or smoking cessation.

Measure: Number of people impacted, number of times and ways infrastructure improvement was promoted, number of programs associated with infrastructure change/creation.