The following examples correspond to the type of multilevel project that the Challenge Grant hopes to fund. These examples are merely representative, and applicants are recommended to develop projects that address the specific needs and settings of their community.

• A community promotes menu labeling and healthy menu items in local restaurants in concert with a local media campaign to highlight making healthier food choices. Healthy menu items are provided in appropriate portion sizes and priced competitively. Dieticians work with restaurants to analyze menus for nutritional information and to plan healthier menu items.
• A community provides incentives to local farmers to encourage local food production in concert with a farm-to-school initiative and with efforts to create a new location of a farmers market in an economically-deprived neighborhood lacking a nearby grocery store. Low-income seniors and WIC recipients are provided a weekly $10 voucher for fresh produce redeemable at a local farmers market.
• A community and school district works together to develop a joint use agreement to allow public access to recreational facilities on school grounds. School recreational facilities are renovated, which increases access to physical activity opportunities for both students and the community as a whole. A website is created on which residents can determine walkable routes from their residence to a nearby school with accessible facilities, share routes with other residents, and organize local walking groups.
• A community establishes a schedule of closing off certain streets to traffic during after-school hours, in order to create safe “play streets” for children and safe areas for seniors and adults to walk in neighborhoods with low access to recreational opportunities. Where possible, “play streets” are networked to connect to local parks, allowing children to safely travel to parks and seniors to plan safe walking routes. Local organizations provide family-based programming in networked parks to encourage parental support of their children’s physical activity.

Funding Restrictions

BCBSLAF grant funds may be used for project staff salaries, consultant fees, meetings, supplies, project-related travel, data collection related to evaluation, and other direct expenses, including a limited amount of equipment deemed essential to the project. Grant funds may be used for building new infrastructure (e.g., walking trails, bike paths) and for renovations directly supportive of project objectives. Grant funds may not be used to subsidize individuals for the cost of their health care, for lobbying, for inadvertent support of unhealthy behaviors (e.g., providing unhealthy snacks during a health promotion activity), or as a substitute for funds currently being used to support similar activities.