The Boys and Girls Club of Southwest MO Receive Worksite Wellness Grant

JOPLIN, MO – The Boys and Girls Club of Southwest MO was awarded a $4,000 stipend from the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) for improving employee health through worksite wellness programs.

DHSS awarded stipends to Missouri employers to improve wellness policies and programs for employees. Worksite wellness programs help businesses support staff in adopting and sustaining a healthy lifestyle. A comprehensive wellness program can reduce absenteeism, improve productivity, control health care costs, reduce injuries and improve morale. Wellness programs can help employer’s bottom line, offering a return on investment up to $3 for every $1 invested. Wellness policies and programs often focus on areas such as nutrition, physical activity, mental health, breastfeeding and tobacco cessation. Employers use the WorkWell Missouri Toolkit as a guide for developing a well-organized program. 

“We are very excited to get our wellness program started. We’ve always done a good job of promoting health in our kids programming, and now we’re ready to do the same for our staff,” said Rhonda Gorham, CEO of the Boys and Girls Club serving Joplin and Webb City.  

Through participation in this program, the Boys and Girls Club will apply for the Missouri Worksite Wellness Award. This Award recognizes businesses that create a work place that supports healthy behaviors. This is important considering adults spend nearly half of their waking hours at work. Having options like walking on breaks and healthy snacks make a big difference to overall health. Worksite wellness extends beyond the walls of the worksite. Families and communities also benefit from health behavior changes, modeled by employees, which reduce the risk of disease and injury. Worksite wellness programs are designed to link employees to surrounding community supports that encourage healthy behaviors and safety of all employees and their families. 

For more information about the Missouri Worksite Wellness Award and accompanying WorkWell MO Toolkit, visit: https://extension2.missouri.edu/programs/worksite-wellness or https://health.mo.gov/living/wellness/worksitewellness/index.php to learn more.

Submitted By:

Lindsey Stevenson
MU Extension
417-682-3579

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