Mass in motion municipal wellness and leadership program
The Blue Hills Community Health Alliance was proud to be part of a regional partnership to expand access to healthy and affordable food and opportunities for active living. Bay State Community Services one of 10 recipients of the Mass in Motion Municipal Wellness and Leadership program (Mass in Motion), is a movement to lower the risk of chronic disease by addressing root causes that impact opportunities for active living and access to healthy and affordable foods in cities and towns throughout the state.
Food insecurity became a priority for many communities during the pandemic, as residents faced transportation and other environmental barriers that hindered access to healthy, affordable foods. These persistent barriers are still felt in communities already impacted by inequitable systems and opportunities. The goal of the partnership is to help solve each municipality’s unique challenges by collaboratively addressing the barriers that prevent residents from accessing healthy food options. Central to these efforts is a focus on structural racism and other systems of oppression that lead to ongoing health disparities.
The 10-year Mass in Motion grant began in 2022, with CHNA 20 staff providing backbone support to participating partners until 2025. The grant now sits under the Prevention Department at Bay State Community Services. Municipal partners, including Milton, Quincy, Randolph, and Weymouth, have designated MiM/Wellness coordinators who act as department leads, responsible for both facilitating program strategies and engaging residents with lived experience of food access inequities. Several community-based organizations and healthcare systems are currently involved, and we always welcome new partners!
mim principles and practice
leading with race and racism (LWRR) framework
Principle 1: Address structural racism, in addition to other forms of oppression.
Principle 2: Center people with lived experience of inequities and share decision-making power.
Principle 3: Identify and address root causes of health to create equitable solutions.
Principle 4: Be aware and address that our work may have unintended consequences that make inequities worse.
BLUE HILLS MIM STRATEGIES
Contact
To learn more about the statewide Mass in Motion program, visit https://www.mass.gov/orgs/mass-in-motion. To get involved in the regional partnership, please contact Briana Keating at bkeating@baystatecs.org.