Parkside United Methodist Church Institutes Wellness Policy

December 3, 2012 | Camden

The Parkside United Methodist Church is the first faith-based organization in the city of Camden to adopt a formal wellness policy integral to its ministry. The church is committed to “model, teach and encourage healthy eating habits, combat obesity, and ultimately promote improved health and wellness.”

The wellness policy will influence the foods purchased and food donations accepted for all ministry programs, including snacks served to children and meals provided at church functions and through their food ministry that prepares and serves meals to the community. The policy specifies the types of food the church will strive to serve, provides direction on portion control and commits to integrating exercise into all children’s meetings.

Merdis Hill, chair of the Church’s Health & Welfare Ministry, worked with her committee on the positioning of the policy and Valeria Galarza, NJPHK-Camden project manager, provided technical assistance to the committee.

“The policy at Parkside United is an important step in our efforts to create awareness about the value of adopting formal policies aimed at wellness,” said Galarza. “We will be working with other organizations to adopt similar policies to support healthy eating and physical activity.”

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