Local organizations looking for feedback to help Waco community get more active

WACO, Texas (KWTX) - The Waco-McLennan County Public Health District wants to make it easier for you to be active in the community, and it’s looking for you to weigh-in on how that happens.

The health district wants people to fill out a survey and participate in community conversations about being active in the area and the opportunities to do so. Emily Green, public health educator for the health district, said they are partnering with the Live Well Waco Coalition to create an active living plan based on community feedback.

Once it’s created, the active living plan will be something organizations and community leaders can look to when creating policies and programs to increase physical activity in the area.

Green said there are a lot of benefits to physical activity, but not everyone has the same access and this project would be a guide as organizations and community leaders look to make changes.

In the long run, the goal is to improve health in the community.

“We’re hoping that we see a decrease in obesity rates within our community, that we see in decrease trend in heart diseases, that we see a decrease trend in high blood pressure,” Green said. “We really want to see our health outcomes impacted ultimately.”

The survey asks about things like how often you are active and what type of activity you do, as well as what barriers may prevent you from being more active, whether that’s lack of time or access. In order for the plan to be successful and reflective of the community, Green said they need to gather feedback.

“This will be the first and most important step that we take,” Green said. “We value our community’s voice. We want to know how we can make active living the easy choice to make in McLennan County. So to make this plan a success, participation in surveys and and the community conversations is absolutely key.”

If you’re interested in taking the survey or signing up for a community conversation, you can find more information here. The survey takes 10-15 minutes, and everyone who completes it will be entered to win one of 10 $25 gift cards. The health district is also gathering information through community conversations, which take about an hour. All participants receive a $20 gift card.

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