These 6 Iowa towns are the latest to receive 5-2-1-0 funds

By Lauren Kollauf on Wednesday, August 28, 2019

5-2-1-0 Healthy Choices Count!

Six additional towns in Iowa have been selected to receive grant funding to support the 5-2-1-0 Healthy Choices Count! campaign this fiscal year, joining a network of other communities across the state working to create environments that support healthy choices.

5-2-1-0 is a nationally recognized childhood obesity prevention program that focuses on the importance of four simple daily health habits:

5 or more servings of fruits and vegetables
2 hours or less of screen time (television, computer, video games, phones, etc.)
1 hour or more of physical activity
0 (or reduce) sugar-sweetened beverages - drink more water!

Let's meet the communities!

Storm Lake

Location: Buena Vista County

Population: 10,611

Champion: Pam Bogue, RN, Buena Vista County Public Health

Storm Lake is very excited to work with 5-2-1-0 Healthy Choices Count! There are many facets and diversity to our community, and we have numerous groups that work to assist our children and families in making healthy choices with their respective lifestyles. This initiative will help us pull together and work towards developing more focused goals and programs across the entire diverse community. We are very excited to take the first steps in the journey towards improving lifestyle choices and practices.

Cherokee

Location: Cherokee County

Population: 5,253

Champion: City of Cherokee

Cherokee is eager to join with other Iowa counties to embrace the 5-2-1-0 Healthy Choices Count! Campaign. The 5-2-1-0 grant will allow our community leaders to strengthen current networks and partnerships and enable them to make improvements to public policies, systems, and the physical environment. An increased number of healthy options embedded throughout the community will impact and improve the daily lives and overall health of residents by making healthy choices and behaviors easier and more sustainable.

Cherokee

Grinnell

Location: Poweshiek County

Population: 9,027

Champion: City of Grinnell

Grinnell is thrilled for the opportunity to bring the 5-2-1-0 message to the community. With 5-2-10 support, we hope to strengthen collaboration and coordination of healthy choice messaging and programming. We want to build on the work already taking place and make a healthy choice the easy choice, whether it’s at home, work, school or out in the community.

Hampton

Location: Franklin County

Population: 4,237

Champion: Franklin County Extension

The community of Hampton is excited to begin meeting with stakeholders and brainstorm projects for the 5-2-1-0 Healthy Choices Count grant. Ideas being considered include a bike share program, a downtown community garden/green space, walking clubs, water bottle refill station on the bike trail, just to name a few.

Hampton

^{The Hampton-Dumont-CAL Garden Club recently received a 5-2-1-0 mini grant and held a taste testing during a recent back-to-school event.}

Missouri Valley

Location: Harrison County

Population: 2,838

Champion: Harrison County Home and Public Health

The City of Missouri Valley is excited for the opportunity to work with 5-2-1-0 Healthy Choices Count! These funds will be instrumental in aiding both existing and new community partnerships to collaborate and build on work already being done to create a healthier Missouri Valley. The goals and strategies created out of this partnership in the coming months and years will be a boon to our schools, businesses, and community as a whole.

Missouri Valley

Waterloo

Location: Black Hawk County

Population: 67,587

Champion: Jacki Schares, Iowa Northland Regional Council of Governments

The city of Waterloo is excited for the opportunity to work with 5-2-1-0 Healthy Choices Count. This program will enhance the existing work in the community to make healthy choices by bringing those organizations together under mutual goals and strategies. We look forward to working within our vibrant community to grow existing practices and highlight new opportunities.