Program designed to help improve community health comes to Wilmington

Amerihealth Caritas and the Police Athletic League partnered with the Healthy Hoops program on Monday to help improve community health.

About 200 elementary and middle school students attended the event held at PAL. Healthy Hoops is a program that strives to engage local children, using basketball, to help teach them and their families how to lead healthy lifestyles while managing asthma .

Asthma is a disease that disproportionately affects people of color nationwide. They have the highest rates of the disease, as well as the highest rates of death and hospitalizations. And this trend does not exclude Delaware.

Amerihealth Caritas Delaware also used the event to provide health education and resources. Market President Emmilyn Lawson said addressing the social determinants of health in underserved communities across the state will help eliminate some inequities.

“Anything we can do to help level the playing field is what we are committed to doing – that’s a big part of our mission. And so that’s where it’s important for us to come and offer healthy snacks It is important to us to encourage healthy activities It is important to us to provide coats to members and individuals in the community who otherwise may not be able to afford them Lawson explained.

The Wilmington Police Athletic League hosted the event. Located in the highly concentrated 19802 area code, the PAL provides after-school programming that promotes education, safety and well-being.

Lt. Governor Bethany Hall-Long says PAL deserves credit for putting the needs of children and families in the community first and for using strategic partnerships with health organizations to do so.

“Really recognizing that kids can benefit from learning physical activity through the basketball clinics that are offered here – and in doing so, they are also talking about the behaviors they can adopt at home,” said Hall-Long.

She adds that these behaviors include staying away from unhealthy habits like smoking and improving their diet.

In addition to providing resources to the community, Amerihealth also donated $3,000 to the Police Athletic League to support its work.