Engage Her: Activating Women and MultiCultural Communities

Last week First Lady Michelle Obama was in Philadelphia to talk about the Let’s Move campaign which is focused on ending the epidemic of childhood obesity in our country in a generation. She was in Philadelphia because that is the city and communities that came together six years ago to take a collaborative stand to fight obesity and provide the roadmap for the rest of our nation. They decided that they needed to bring fresh, health affordable foods to all their communities. To take a collected approach to solve the deep problems and issues that lead to obesity in our communities.

In addition, the government just announced the Healthy Food Financing Initiative. It is a multi-million dollar public and private investment to eliminate food deserts in America within seven years. Food deserts are those areas in our communities throughout the country that lack access to fresh, affordable food and distribution points. It is so powerful to see our government not only talk about the need to fight obesity, but put funding and investment dollars to ensure that we bring real solutions that our citizens across the country in the communities that need it the most. We’ll bringing you more details about this program as it unfolds across the country and into our communities. Kudos to the President and the First Lady for this amazing and profound work.

First Lady Michelle Obama recently announced a national initiative on Fighting Childhood Obesity. The statistics are startling: one out of 3 kids in the U.S. are either overweight or obese. The national trends indicates that our children are on track to becoming the first generation of children to be less healthy and live a shorter life span than their parents. It is a huge problem with significant implications and outcomes in the years ahead. The First Lady has taken on this initiative and has convened a number of cabinet level members, departments and resources to begin to put together a long term plan on how to solve this issue. As she says “this is eminently a solvable problem”. Their long term goal is to change the health status of this country’s children.

We will be tracking this health intitiative, participating and communicating on this critical issue that affects all of us. We will be reaching out to you for your ideas, suggestions and comments. Stay tuned.

First Lady Michelle Obama has kicked off an important project on mentoring young girls and women. As proof of her belief and support in the need for mentoring at all levels, she is going around the country with key women members of President Obama’s cabinet, leadership group and secretaries to discuss and promote the importance of mentorship. It’s truly significant when the First Lady puts her on personal stamp and support on an issue that she has said has been critical to her own and to President Obama’s success. We will continue to follow and post about her new program and how we can all promote mentorship, leadership and extend it to all ages and communities. Brava First Lady Michelle Obama!