Advocates of a project that encourages community well-being in Paducah are rallying support for a less expensive path toward implementation.
The ‘Blue Zones Project’ is a public health initiative that supports changes in policy and other areas to improve community health. The original project price was $6 million over three-years, but Paducah’s steering committee recently opted for Blue Zone’s new ‘Activate’ program. The pilot would cost $400,000 over two-years.
Committee member Dr. Evelyn Jones said the group is asking residents to each give $20 to the project. “Then when we go to the larger organizations and potential larger sponsors and donors, we can say ‘this is a community effort, people in our community want this to happen,’ and then we can ask for those other dollars in larger amounts,” Jones said.
Jones said the Activate Program would attempt to expand Paducah’s walkability and bikeability as well as improve access to healthier food. She said the program’s cost goes to salaries for local Blue Zones representatives, access to online tools and promotional events. She said Blue Zone experts would hire locals to oversee the program.
Blue Zones Editor-In-Chief Naomi Imatome-Yun said in other Blue Zone designated cities, the project usually has the backing of hospitals or health insurance companies.
She said Blue Zone looks at a city’s ‘policies, people and places,’ to implement the project. She said an example of this would be supporting a smoking ban or an infrastructure project to improve sidewalks.
Imatome-Yun said Blue Zone could also work with large employers and school systems to introduce healthier cafeteria food and vending machine options. She said the ‘Activate’ pilot program might not reap all of the benefits that the full program offers, but will focus mainly on policy work.
Jones said the ‘Activate’ program cannot begin until the $400,000 is raised.
