Blue Zones Initiative Survey

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1. The Pella Blue Zone Committee needs your help to gather information on possible initiatives for Pella to undertake if selected by the Blue Zones Project. Below are several potential initiatives. After reviewing, please rank each initiative to indicate your interest. This survey is no guarantee that these initiatives will be completed but would be useful to gauge the level of community interest in various programs so the committee can make recomendations to community leaders.

If you have any questions or would like to assist with the Blue Zones application, please contact Cyndi Atkins, public relations manager, at Pella Regional Health Center at PellaBlueZone@pellahealth.org or call 641-621-2290.

1. Fresh from the Garden. One possible initiative focuses on gardens and accessibility to fresh food. Our proposal might focus on:
• Developing educational programs to involve school children in raising, managing and harvesting garden foods,
• Developing community programs providing space for residents to plant and maintain gardens,
• Promoting gardening efforts within church, service and educational organizations,
• Developing a permanent farmers’ market with multiple vendors, extended parking, increased accessibility and family entertainment.

2. Connecting Generations. Another possible initiative focuses on our senior population and finding ways to connect school initiatives with seniors living in our community.
• Developing a senior gathering space that welcomes youth,
• Incorporating wellness activities that integrate youth and seniors into educational offerings,
• Coordinating wellness activities for seniors in our local schools

3. Buy smart. A potential initiative incorporates healthy eating into what we buy at the grocery store and what we order at restaurants.
• Developing a process to review restaurant menus and advise local owners on how healthy options may be incorporated into existing menus,
• Working with grocery store managers on placement of health food options, ranking of food values and creating healthy check-out lanes where customers can avoid impulse buys of junk food,
• Working with industry, school and college cafeterias for the development of healthy food options for employee and student meals.

4. Bike Right! The Volksweg Trail provides great bicycling access for recreational bikers. Another possible initiative would expand bike trails to local industry, school and churches with the addition of a trail along Vermeer Road. This initiative is something that the City of Pella supports in its long-range plan.

5. Communication Hub for Wellness. Currently Pella does offer activities for health and well-being through the city, schools, health organizations, Central College, businesses, industries, churches and more. However, there is no ONE place where information about all of the activities are available. A communications hub could share information and interact with others on health and wellness in our community.
• Developing an internet site with information on health activities, senior options, education programs, spiritual opportunities, etc. that are open to the public.
• Developing an interactive internet tool allowing users to communicate with each other to find others with similar health and well-being interests and support each other on the journey to better health and longevity.

6. Community Sports Complex. Another initiative would be the development of a community recreation area that would facilitate athletics and community interaction. This project was approved by the citizens of Pella as part of the recent Local Option Sales & Services Tax election.

Please rank your interest in the following initiatives.