ABOVE: $100,000 check is presented to Salina Emergency Food Bank.
BELOW: A portion of the grant was used to install sidewalks for better access to the Food Bank.
Pathways to a Healthy Kansas, an initiative of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas (BCBSKS), recently presented two $100,000 checks. One check went to the City of Salina to install sidewalks, and the other to the Salina Emergency Aid Food Bank to expand parking and improve access to the food bank.
Local Saline County residents who access the food bank by walking or biking experience significant challenges due to the lack of sidewalks around the area. In addition, there’a a shortage of room in the parking lot for loading up groceries.
Clients request change
“Our clients and our gardeners asked for more parking spaces and bike racks, and this funding provides exactly that,” said Karen Couch, Salina Emergency Aid Food Bank Director. “We are all so excited for the improvements funded by this grant and know it will make our services more accessible and user friendly.”
With the help of LiveWell Saline County, a community coalition, and their participation over the past two years in the Pathways initiative, a total of $300,000 has been donated to Saline County. These funds assist with projects ranging from improving health and well-being initiatives for employees at Salina Regional Health Center, to the new projects that increase accessibility for clients of the food bank.
Pathways grant consolidates efforts
“The Pathways to a Healthy Kansas grant enabled us to bring everyone together so rather than doing a lot of great individual programs and efforts we were able to work more collaboratively as a community,” said Daniel Craig, LiveWell Saline County Chair. “The LiveWell Saline County Coalition did a great job of being strategic and linking the grant packages to make a significant impact around increasing access to healthy food in our community.”
Pathways to a Healthy Kansas is a community grant initiative launched by BCBSKS in 2016. It partners with community coalitions like LiveWell Saline County to improve active living, healthy eating and commercial tobacco prevention across the state.
“The work being done through Pathways represents our sustained commitment to Kansas communities, and our belief that healthier communities benefit us all,” said Virginia Barnes, BCBSKS Director of Blue Health Initiatives. “Our friends at LiveWell Saline County are doing great work to ensure equitable access for all residents to their local food bank.”
