Healthy Community Action Team (HCAT) Arlington began in 2007 as a result of the Partnerships for a Healthier Arlington’s planning process, where public and private organizations partnered to address childhood obesity. In 2012, HCAT Arlington secured their first grant from Virginia Foundation for Healthy Youth (VFHY) for ongoing coalition building and obesity prevention activities.
HCAT Arlington is a committee of the Arlington Foundation for Families and Youth, whose goal is to improve the health and wellbeing of Arlington youth.
The main component of HCAT is to manage a broad coalition of partners who have a stake in reducing childhood obesity in Arlington County through monthly information-sharing coalition meetings. HCAT supports the work of our partners through collaboration, communication and making connections. HCAT’s goal is to develop policies, systems, and environmental changes that support nutrition education, physical education opportunities, and food security efforts within Arlington County.
Since 2012, HCAT has helped to support the following initiatives:
- Supported healthy vending efforts with Fit Arlington to ensure healthy snack and beverage options in vending machines located in Arlington schools and community centers.
- Supported Real Food for Kids (RFFK) efforts to develop Fresh Food Explorers, a child wellness and nutrition curriculum, for Virginia Preschool Initiative (VPI) classrooms in two Title 1 schools.
- Increased physical activity during recess by providing recess carts and equipment to 19 Arlington public schools.
- Provided financial support to Friends of Urban Agriculture (FOUA) Victory Garden program, which developed or expanded gardens at four Arlington schools to provide fresh, local produce to families in need during the COVID-19 pandemic. 1,600 pounds of produce were grown and distributed to food insecure households in the first year of the program.
- Provided over 250 family engagement kits to low-income children in Arlington through our partners: Hoffman-Boston PTA, Aspire! After School Learning and AHC, Inc. The kits were focused on healthy eating and gardening, outdoor exploration and physical activity.
- In 2022, HCAT Arlington collaborated with a local artist to paint movement encouraging blacktop art at two Title 1 schools to foster active play during recess.
- Partner with APS’ Even Start program to offer monthly nutrition and physical education classes to immigrant parents in Arlington.
- HCAT Arlington was invited to be a part of the Food Security Task Force and helped develop Arlington County’s first Food Security Strategic Plan in 2022 and co-chairs the Outreach Working Group of the Food Security Coalition, launched in 2023.