At the height of pandemic uncertainty, Strathcona County set out to ensure physical activity remained accessible to those in need. They applied for and received a $5,000 ChooseWell RECreate Grant to bring sport and exercise equipment to low-income residents of all ages. The kits not only aimed to encourage outdoor recreation, but support mental and emotional health in a season of extreme stress. “When you have that outlet, you realize, ‘Okay, l can deal with this. I can do this one step at a time.’ You build that resiliency to deal with whatever is coming next,” says Jenn Wilson, a recreation specialist with Strathcona County.
By Anna Schmidt, 2023
“We’ve been involved with ChooseWell since day one, year one,” recalls Jenn Wilson, a recreation specialist with Strathcona County.
As a proud ChooseWell Champion, Jenn has utilized the program’s resources to help support healthy eating and active living programs in the municipality for over a decade. Located just east of Edmonton, Strathcona County includes Sherwood Park and surrounding rural areas, and hosts just over 100,000 residents.
“The provincial reach of ChooseWell is unmatched. They’re connected with so many groups and they’re tapped into the research,” says Jenn. “It’s an invaluable organization in terms of where trends are going, where resources are and how you can get things done in your community.”
This relationship with ChooseWell was never more important than in early 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic brought unexpected health concerns, social isolation and financial stress. Jenn and her colleagues quickly realized just how essential physical activity would be to supporting residents’ well-being, and applied for a $5,000 ChooseWell RECreate grant to bring at-home activity kits to low-income families.
“A lot of people’s recreation, which was not only a link to their physical health but their mental and emotional health, was taken away from them. Knowing how important that was to the community, we wanted to help,” explains Jenn.
With the ChooseWell grant and matching funds from a sponsor, Strathcona County built 100 kits with sport and exercise items. Different kits were designed for three resident demographics — older adults, families with young children and families with teens. Jenn teamed up with the County’s Family and Community Services department to deliver the kits directly to those in financial need.
“Families described it as an unexpected gift in the middle of really difficult circumstances,” says Jenn. “The kids ran outside and started playing with everything right away.”
Family kits came in large rubbermaid bins and included street hockey balls, hockey sticks, footballs, soccer balls and skipping ropes. The bins for families with teens also included resistance bands and other items for home workouts. The older adult kits were delivered in large reusable duffel bags, and included pickleball paddles, dumbbells and resistance bands.
“You got the physical benefits — it’s good for your lungs, it’s good for your heart. But the stress relief was just huge for people,” says Jenn.
Looking back, those early days of the pandemic — and the way people flocked to the outdoors — demonstrate just how important activity is to the well-being of individuals and communities, says Jenn.
“When you have that physical outlet, you realize, ‘Okay, l can deal with this. I can do this one step at a time.’ You build resiliency to deal with whatever is coming next… and that impacts the health of your entire community.”