WHAT IS THE THOMAS COUNTY COALITION?

Serving under the direction of LiveWell Northwest Kansas and funded in part by the Thomas County Commission, the Coalition is a group of Thomas County residents and stakeholders working to make Thomas County the healthiest county in Kansas. This mission was adopted in 2008 and the challenging work of "making the healthy choice the easy choice through creating environments that enable healthy eating, healthy beverage consumption, and active living while providing opportunities for healthier lifestyles" began. Recent programs and efforts that the Thomas County Coalition can take full or partial credit for include: Copeland Allotment Garden and Franklin Community Garden, the Thomas County Farmer's Market, free summer food programs for youth, summer academic school programs, Colby Walking Trails, Walk and Bike to School Days, Safe Routes to School programs, working to reduce drugs and alcohol in schools and in the community, improving water consumption, and many other initiatives.

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WHO MAKES UP THE COALITION AND WHO CAN JOIN?

The group consists of Thomas County residents and agency representatives including school administrators, faculty members, health care workers, counselors, social workers, church group leaders, parents, day care providers, business owners and others who are interested in making a difference in our community. If you are interested in being a part of a culture for change in Thomas County, please feel free to contact Thomas County Coalition Coordinator Christina Beringer.

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DOES THE GROUP HAVE REGULAR MEETINGS?

Yes, the Thomas County Coalition meets during the lunch hour on the second Thursday of every month. Oftentimes, lunch is provided and a speaker is invited to give a presentation and information regarding current programs and initiatives are shared. Coalition members and partners are always encouraged to give program updates regarding the organization(s) they represent.

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ARE THERE OTHER WAYS TO LEARN ABOUT COALILTION ? 

Yes. Feel free to follow program updates on the LiveWell Northwest Kansas Facebook Page.