FAME CHURCH SUPPORTS LAUNCH OF MICHELLE OBAMA’S NATIONAL LET’S MOVE: FAITH AND COMMUNITIES INITIATIVE

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First AME Church of Los Angeles’ First Lady Denise Hunter joined First Lady Michelle Obama this week on a national conference call of faith and community leaders as she launched Let’s Move Faith and Communities, an initiative to end childhood obesity. The First AME Church of Los Angeles, the Progressive National Baptist Convention, Girl Scouts USA and Catholic Charities are among the first 50 organizations to make commitments to increase feeding programs for children, encourage exercise and to increase access to fresh fruits and vegetables.

Joshua DuBois, the National Director of Faith Based and Neighborhood Partnerships introduced Mrs. Obama, as she outlined the Four National Goals for Let’s Move Faith and Communities for 2011.  The goals include:

1. Children and adults across the country walking 3 million miles.
2. Awarding 500,000 Presidential Active Lifestyle Awards as a result of new exercise programs.
3. Hosting 10,000 Famer’s Markets or Community Gardens.
4. Opening 1000 New Summer Feeding Sites in the nation.

Mrs. Obama lauded efforts that were underway prior to the Let’s Move campaign and spoke of the crucial role that churches, congregations and community groups play in people’s lives.  “One in three children in this country is either overweight or obese, and you’ve all seen the impact this issue has on the lives of our children,” she said. “And you see what happens when unhealthy children grow up to be unhealthy adults – struggling with diseases like diabetes and cancer and heart disease.  ”This effort will support and complement efforts that are working and highlight what is happening in the communities.”

Mrs. Hunter was invited to speak on the call as a result of FAME’s ongoing leadership role in the Let’s Move campaign. She pledged that FAME members and its community partners would walk a combined 100,000 miles and garner 5000 Presidential Active Lifestyle Awards during the coming year.

“I was very happy to join Mrs. Obama in the White House to talk about FAME’s commitment to ensuring that our congregants and members of the community have access to nutrition and exercise activities and information, and access to healthy food choices,” said Mrs. Hunter. “We support local programs like the Body and Soul Program with the Network for Healthy California, Gospel Aerobics and the FAME So Fresh Produce Market in the Los Angeles area and are thrilled to help Mrs. Obama on the national stage.”

"In the end, as First Lady, this isn’t just a policy issue for me. This is a passion. This is my mission. I am determined to work with folks across this country to change the way a generation of kids thinks about food and nutrition."

- First Lady Michelle Obama