The recently-organized Voices for a Healthy SouthCoast, held its first summit meeting on March 24, 2010 at the New Bedford Whaling Museum in an effort to build and support healthy lifestyles in SouthCoast communities.. The summit followed a day-long bus tour of New Bedford, Dartmouth and Wareham and meeting at the Keith Middle School led by pedestrian advocate and nationally recognized expert on healthy communities Mark Fenton. New Bedford Mayor Scott Lang opened the event, calling for more attention to promoting healthy lifestyles in the City. Southcoast YMCA COO/VP of Operations and event organizer Nancy Bonell then invited participants to hear Mr. Fenton and then to divide into five working groups to formulate plans for future action on: 1) safe routes to school; 2) trails, greenways and connectivity; 3) healthy futures; 4) transportation and land use policy; and 5) healthy nutrition. Click here for a video of the event. The group is continuing to invite people from any of the seventeen Southcoast communities with an interest in any of these areas to contact Nancy Bonell at 508-996-9622 X 25 to discuss how they might become involved.
 

(Top row, left) Southcoast Hospital System's Vice-President of Marketing and Public Affairs Jim Rattray talks with Mark Fenton before his presentation. (Top row, center) Massachusetts Public Health Association Director of Advocacy and Media Maddie Ribble chats with New Bedford Director of Public Health Marianne DeSouza over breakfast. (Top row, right) New Bedford Mayor Scott Lang makes some brief welcoming remarks on his way to another meeting. (Middle row, left and center) Mark Fenton helps participants understand the importance of advocating for policy, practice, and environmental change in order to sustain communities that are conducive to healthy living. (Middle row, right) Southcoast YMCA COO/VP Operations and ACHIEVE Coach Nancy Bonell directs participants to break-out rooms for the second half of the summit. (Bottom row, left) Massachusetts Department of Public Health staff member Maria Evora-Rosa records the discussion from a group focused on the topic of healthy nutrition as Derek Christianson of Brix Bounty Farm looks on. (Bottom row, center) Summit participants hear summaries of each of the break-out group discussions. (Bottom row, right) Participants in the group on trails, greenways and connectivity, led by Mike Langford (left) of Wareham Community Pathway and Julianne Kelly (not pictured) of Fall River's Mass In Motion project, discuss ideas for making environmental improvements in pedestrian and bicycle access within Southcoast communities.