Tohono O'odham Community

King County Food & Fitness Initiative Values

• Creative
• Social justice
• Community-driven
• Inclusive

About King County

Located in the Pacific Northwest and set alongside Puget Sound, King County has a population of 1.8 million-a third of whom live in the city of Seattle. Although renowned for an established network of farmers' markets, locally grown foods, and walking and biking paths, these resources are disproportionately accessible and primarily located in middle-to-higher income and less diverse communities. Local, fresh foods are rarely affordable or easily accessed in low-income and underserved regions of the community. Further, crime and a lack of local services prevent many community members living in these same areas from participating in physical activity in a regular and convenient way. As a result, more than half of area residents are overweight or obese, with south King County residents being disproportionately affected.

The King County Food & Fitness Initiative (KCFFI) will coordinate with existing coalitions and create linkages that assure a critical mass of activities to produce community change. Through a combined effort to provide access to healthy, locally grown food, safe environments for physical activity and play, and economic development that supports and sustains the natural environment, the King County Food & Fitness Initiative is working to create healthier communities where all residents have equal opportunities.