SAINT THOMAS HEALTH AWARDS COMMUNITY BENEFIT GRANT TO YMCA OF MIDDLE TENNESSEE FOR HEALTHIER COMMUNITIES INITIATIVE

Saint Thomas Health has awarded a $100,000 Community Benefit Grant to the YMCA of Middle Tennessee to support its Healthier Communities Initiative (HCI) program at the Northwest Family YMCA at 3700 Ashland City Highway in Nashville. Saint Thomas Health is part of Ascension, the nation’s largest Catholic and non-profit health system.

The YMCA’s HCI program is built on the concept that local communities can work together to provide healthy choices and support the pursuit of healthy lifestyles. The national program focuses on collaborating with community leaders to change policies and physical surroundings to bring healthy living within reach of all people.  Examples of the HCI program include helping families put nutritious food on the table by bringing farmers markets with fresh fruits and vegetables to neighborhoods where healthy food options are scarce, giving parents peace of mind when they let their kids walk to school by creating safer routes, and keeping a generation of kids healthier by working with schools to increase physical education and physical activity during the school day. 

Saint Thomas Health’s grant will help provide funding to hire a Healthier Communities Director at the Northwest Family YMCA.  The Director will work on a community health action plan for the Bordeaux community.

“We are strongly supportive of the YMCA’s Healthier Communities Initiative program, as its tenets are consistent with those of Saint Thomas Health’s objectives in building relationships on the leading health issues facing communities, building community coalitions and helping support healthy lifestyles,” said Karen Springer, President and CEO, Saint Thomas Health.  “We have identified Nashville’s Bordeaux area as a key area to focus these efforts to support individuals and families who live and work there, and are looking forward to the very real progress we believe will be made through this program.”