Neighbor News
Charlotte Awarded $50,000 in Community Grants
Aetna Foundation, as part of the Cultivating Healthy Communities initiative, recently announced a $50,000 grant to the city of Charlotte.
Did you know 60 percent of a person’s life expectancy is driven by factors outside of the doctor’s office? Our personal choices, behaviors and actions, as well as our social and environmental factors, determine our overall health and well being. To help advance our community’s health, the Aetna Foundation, as part of the Cultivating Healthy Communities initiative, recently announced a $50,000 grant to the city of Charlotte. Cultivating Healthy Communities is designed to promote healthy and active living, strengthen health equity and advance innovations that make it possible for people to have more healthy days.
Centralia Council of Governments received the grant to aid with the Transportation Improvements are Popping Up in West Charlotte project, which focuses on unsafe street conditions in West Charlotte. Through temporary, on-the-ground traffic calming demonstrations, such as using painted tires, traffic cones, fake plants, temporary paint and signs, the project aims to engage residents, transit users, pedestrians, planners and elected officials in a discussion about the current street conditions, safety concerns and creative solutions to improving the streetscape.
West Charlotte was identified as an area for these demonstrations because of its involvement in the Plan4Health Charlotte activities, including seven walkability audits, and its inclusion within the Mecklenburg County Public Health priority area.
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With the help of the Aetna Foundation and the Cultivating Healthy Communities initiative, Charlotte is able to address its ongoing issue of street safety. Anticipated impacts of the project include increased awareness of transportation safety issues, community empowerment to advocate for street improvements, and ultimately improved street conditions.
To learn more about the Cultivating Healthy Communities initiative, please visit: https://news.aetna.com/news-releases/the-aetna-foundation-helps-improve-the-health-of-25-communities-nationwide-through-more-than-2-million-in-grants/.
