The nonprofit Healthy Lifestyle La Plata in December will end eight years as a coordinator of programs that promote nutritious food, worksite wellness and active living in La Plata County.
But the organization isn’t going to disappear. It will simply adopt a different relationship with its partners of the past.
Founded in 2004, Healthy Lifestyle La Plata has been supported financially by Live Well Colorado, but the funding cycle ends this year, said Amita Nathwani, the current executive director of the La Plata County organization.
The county organization received $1 million from Live Well through the years, but by leveraging the revenue through grants and contributions, it was able to make $1.5 million available for healthy lifestyle programs, Nathwani said.
As an umbrella organization, Healthy Lifestyle La Plata was a guiding force in helping scores of partners promote practices that emphasize healthy living. Now, with funding coming to an end, the partners will work largely independently but cooperatively.
The Farm to School program that provides fresh vegetables for school children will be directed by Marvel rancher Jim Dyer, who has been the project coordinator.
The city of Durango and Amber Blake, its coordinator of multimodal transportation, will continue efforts to promote alternatives to the automobile.
Growing Partners of the Southwest will coordinate such activities as the annual Iron Horse Chef competition and Tour de Farms, the bicycle visits to farms and gardens around Durango.
Nathwani, because it meshes with her career work in alternative medicine, will concentrate on worksite wellness, which helps employers keep workers healthy and productive.
The partners will gather from 5 to 7 p.m. Oct. 9 at Carver Brewing Co. to mark the closing of an era. Nathwani will stay on until year’s end to wrap up reports and financial issues.
The new Healthy Lifestyle La Plata coalition will meet quarterly, bringing together representatives from agencies and organizations that have similar goals. It will serve as a clearinghouse for groups that want to share ideas and projects.
Live Well Colorado is a nonprofit, the goal of which is to reduce obesity by promoting healthful eating and active living. It became a nonprofit in 2009 with the support of its initial funders – the Colorado Health Foundation, Kaiser Permanente and the Kresge Foundation, and its partner, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment.
daler@durangoherald.com
