Princeton Designated An 'Up And Coming' Healthy Town

Princeton NJ

18 March, 2022

9:31 AM

Description

PRINCETON, NJ — The Mayors Wellness Campaign recently honored several New Jersey municipalities with "healthy town" awards. For the second time, the campaign placed Princeton in its list of "Healthy Towns Up-and-Coming." The Mayors Wellness Campaign (MWC) is a program of the New Jersey Health Care Quality Institute in partnership with the New Jersey State League of Municipalities. In addition to the eight Healthy Town Winners, seven towns were designated as 2021 Healthy Towns to Watch, and 17 were designated as 2021 Healthy Towns Up-and-Coming. The award highlights New Jersey towns that have "taken to make their communities healthier places to live, work, and play," according to the Mayors Wellness Campaign. The MWC represents a statewide community-health initiative, designed to provide evidence-based tools and strategies for mayors and community leaders to help residents improve their overall health. Each year, communities participating in the Mayors Wellness Campaign submit a "healthy town application" to highlight their research on community-health needs and explain how they organized their local MWC committee. The Princeton Health Department uses data to determine that one of the highest community needs is addressing the social isolation of residents. A social isolation campaign, launched in 2021, helps isolated members of the Princeton community become more engaged through art and gardening projects. The theme, "Look How We Have Grown," encourages vulnerable residents to reflect on their personal experiences during the pandemic. Here's the list of NJ cities and towns that got awards: Healthy Towns Bay HeadEveshamMontclairPatersonPlainfieldScotch PlainsWildwood CrestWoodbridge Healthy Towns to Watch BellevilleBorough of FreeholdFranklin LakesHillsboroughJeffersonNorwoodVernon Healthy Towns Up and Coming BernardsvilleOradellCranburyCresskillDeerfieldDenvilleEatontownFort LeeGarfieldHighlandsKeyportLawrence (Mercer)MorristownPrincetonRidgewoodSouth BrunswickStafford Thank you for reading. Have a correction or news tip? Email [email protected] Get breaking news alerts on your phone with our app. Download here. Sign up to get Patch emails so you don't miss out on local and statewide news.