Community Well-Being Wins
Blue Zones Project Walla Walla Valley, community members, leaders, and organizations have worked together to create positive changes to the way our community experiences the world around them. When healthier environments become the norm, people are naturally nudged toward healthier choices. Below are a few well-being wins toward making better health more accessible for everyone.
Policy work
Policy Wins by the Numbers
Built Environment:
The Built Environment Policy team (including staff and committee members), worked with the cities of Walla Walla and College Place to complete 19 Built Environment policy priorities including demonstration projects like 4Bikes, passing a Vision Zero policy, and renewing Walla Walla’s Transportation Benefit District.
After updating the regional bike map, 10,000 copies of the map were printed and distributed to bike shops and tourism destinations in Walla Walla Valley.
Food Policy:
The Food Policy team completed 14 initiatives including working with school districts to update Nutrition/Wellness policies, supporting the start of a school garden program at Davis Elementary School, and implementing a Produce Rx program. After passing a healthy food/beverage policy, the City of Walla Walla served 867 cans of unsweetened seltzer water instead of soda during their 2023 community parties. That saved party goers from consuming 8,453.25 teaspoons of sugar, almost 10 teaspoons per can.
Tobacco Policy:
The Tobacco Policy team completed 14 priority initiatives including: advocating for Edith Carrie Park to be tobacco-free, updating community signage, and supporting Red Ribbon Week programming in private and public schools. Since the City of College Place passed a tobacco-free events policy, over 50 tobacco-free events have been held.
Dollars and Sense:
Blue Zones Project works with partner cities and organizations to support funding for health and well-being-aligned grant applications. Since starting our work in WWV, we have helped bring $2,245,700 to our community to support food, tobacco, and built environment policy projects.
People Power:
Policy work is supported by three volunteer policy committees who meet every other month and participate in project-specific work groups. 37 individuals participate in policy committees, bringing their expertise and passion to the table.
Places work
Places Wins by the Numbers
Worksites:
Currently, 8 worksites in the Walla Walla Valley have achieved Blue Zones Project Approved status. We’re 80% of the way to our goal of 10 worksites with multiple businesses working hard on their approval process.
Schools:
6 schools in Walla Walla Valley have reached the status of Blue Zones Project Approved (Sharpstein, Berney, Davis, Garrison, Pioneer, and College Place High School). Meanwhile, additional schools are also working towards this distinction.
Walking School Buses:
As of October 2023, every elementary school in the Walla Walla Valley has launched a Walking School Bus. Many of these schools have continued to offer weekly walking school buses for their students. Berney Elementary’s Walking School Bus has been going strong for over a year and a half. If you see these students moving naturally on their way to school, be sure to wave to all the kids walking!
Grocery Stores:
In October 2023, Southgate Center Market achieved Blue Zones Project Approved Grocery Store status and became the second approved grocery store in our community. Southgate added a Blue Zones inspired end cap, encouraging shelf talkers to help customers find healthy choices, and offered cooking demonstrations in their produce section. We have now met the goal of having 2 approved grocery stores by the end of the first phase of the project!
Restaurants:
We have surpassed the goal of having 6 approved restaurants with a total of 7 currently approved! Our approved restaurants include Graze, Stone Soup, Cleveland Commons, Roger’s Bakery, The Express, Happy Wanderer, and WW Bread Co.
People Work
People Wins by the Numbers
Currently, 6,406 people have engaged with the Blue Zones Project by attending a Blue Zones Story Speech, Purpose Workshop, Cooking Class, Walking Moai, or other engagement activity. Our goal is to engage at least 15% of our population or 6,750 people. We’re One Step Closer!