"Get a Life" campaign / 2006

The Community Foundation of Northwest Mississippi's "Get a Life" campaign used grant funds to hold a summit for the eight communities it serves. Local community leaders convened in Clarksdale to offer different perspectives, help identify issues related to childhood obesity, and discuss how to most effectively combat the problem. Each community then received $10,000 of the grant to develop and implement the strategies identified in the meetings. Quitman County received a donated building which has been converted into a community fitness center. In Tallahatchie County, they have declared "junk food holidays" in the schools, collectively banning fattening foods and snacks on these days. Other areas are working with schools to implement health and wellness policies.