The Alliance's Childhood Obesity Committee is happy to announce the successful roll out of the Out of School Time and Physical Activity Initiative (OSNAP) with Harvard School of Public Health. There are currently 19 YMCA after school and camp sites participating in the yearlong pilot. The OSNAP initiative is a fun, evidenced-based opportunity for programs to come together to find creative ways to promote nutrition and physical activity. The goal of the OSNAP program is to enhance the healthy practices of the Healthy Eating Physical Activity (HEPA) standards and to provide a fun and easy way for the association to hit 100% compliance and become the strongest and healthiest program in the area.

Public Policy Update:

The Alliance's Public Policy Committee would like to thank every YMCA staff and volunteer for their help in a successful legislative session. Because of all of your efforts we were able to:

• Secure $900.000 in Youth-At-Risk funds for state fiscal year 2015, with an additional $50,000 for Athol

• Secure an additional $200,000 in Youth-At-Risk these funds for a high school drug use prevention lecture series across the state

• Secure a 1.8% increase in the rate reserve for early learning and afterschool care

• Secure $50 million in the transportation bond bill for Active Streets and Healthy Communities

• Pass the Fresh Food Financing Legislation

• Move An Act Improving Quality in Early Education Care Centers to bundled study.

We would also like to thank you for your participation in the regional advocacy trainings and hope that you will attend the next three in December which will be exploring building a relationship with your elected officials. We also hope you will be able to join us at the State House for YMCA Advocacy Day in mid-January. Please look for more information on both of these in on our next newsletter!