Texas Health Resources Marks 4-Year Milestone in Double Up Efforts:

For special needs students in the RISE program at William James Middle School in Fort Worth, the Life Lab Learning Garden is a place to grow. Not just the potatoes, carrots, and cilantro teeming from the raised garden beds situated in a school courtyard, but also the sort of personal growth that comes from learning how to bring that food to life.

From pastors and professors to claims adjusters and airline employees, a Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) training program offered by Texas Health Resources is helping North Texans better respond to their neighbors in crisis. The national course, introduced locally in November 2021, is offered monthly and has certified more than 550 individuals as Mental Health First Aiders.

Pickleball is trending up in popularity and down in age. The once obscure sport is gaining popularity among the elementary, middle, and high school set everywhere, including within the Fort Worth Independent School District (FWISD). To take advantage of that trend and encourage physical activity, Fort Worth After School (FWAS), a nationally recognized enrichment program that provides after school activities for FWISD students, held its first pickleball tournament on Saturday, March 23, at R.D. Evans Community Center.

Student groups from six area schools will soon implement their proposals to improve campus well-being as winners of 2024 Wellness Innovation Grants. Now in its fifth year, the Wellness Innovation Grant is sponsored by Texas Health Resources and underwritten by the Fort Worth-based R4 Foundation. Four $5,000 grants and two $2,500 grants – a total of $25,000 – was awarded to elementary, middle, and high schools with the best plans for making healthy choices easier at their campuses.

Texas Health is teaming up with Gallup to launch a first-of-its kind nutrition security study to gain a better understanding of the challenges around healthy food access. The findings of the study, which will focus on Tarrant, Dallas, and Collin counties, will help guide Texas Health’s expansion of current programs, engage the community in long-terms solutions, and increase access to fresh fruits and vegetables in North Texas.

For the fifth consecutive year, North Texas Healthy Communities (NTHC) and Fort Worth Bike Sharing are partnering to present Free First Fri-YAY, providing free all-day bike rental passes on the first Friday of each month throughout 2024. Residents and visitors can pick up a classic or electric-assist bike at more than 60 Fort Worth Bike Sharing stations and pedal their way around the city.

Even in the rain, a team of volunteers from Atmos Energy continued to turn soil to build a learning garden at an Arlington elementary school last month, all to help young people learn the benefits of growing and eating fresh fruits and vegetables and to promote a lifetime of healthy habits. The garden build at Wimbish World Language Academy was the first official partnership between Texas Health’s North Texas Healthy Communities (NTHC) and Arlington ISD, thanks to generous support from Atmos Energy.

By Laurie James

When it comes to keeping your family healthy, navigating the grocery aisles can be a daunting experience. Knowing how to read labels and choose the most nutritious foods can help chart a course to better well-being.