Though it’s been about a year and a half since the AARP/Blue Zones Vitality Project ended, health initiatives in Albert Lea are continuing to move forward quietly.

The National Vitality Center leadership team chairman Randy Kehr, executive director at the Albert Lea-Freeborn County Chamber of Commerce, said Vitality Project leaders in the community have been focusing on effort that are long-term and sustainable, including permanent policy changes.

“It maybe isn’t as flashy, but it’s the things that will make the big difference,” Kehr said.

That includes developing a worksite wellness committee for business and industry, encouraging children to eat fresh fruits and vegetables in area schools and promoting activity among residents, among others.

And there’s more coming.

Ellen Kehr, Freeborn County coordinator of the Statewide Health Improvement Project — which has been a key funding source for the vitality efforts — said the vitality initiatives in the community are no longer being heralded through one organization. Instead, partnerships of several groups and organizations have come together under the umbrella of the National Vitality Center to move projects forward.

Their goal is to achieve wellness together.

“From my standpoint, I see a community that continues to be more active than they were,” said Randy Kehr. “I think we are being successful.”

He said the AARP/Blue Zones Vitality Project, which took place for 10 months in 2009, was a jumpstart for vitality initiatives in Albert Lea.

“That’s made it easier to talk about, whether it’s in the schools, the work site or in general,” he said. “People are aware that healthy living is something that’s all of our personal responsibility, but if we can make the environment conducive to that, we’ll be much better off.”

The Vitality Project, which has been called a success by many health experts across the nation and world, aimed to help residents live longer, healthier lives by making simple changes to their lifestyles.

Kehr said the leadership team continues to receive inquiries from cities and news media from across the country, most recently Women’s Day magazine, who want to find out more.

Albert Lea Community Development Director Bob Graham, who is also part of the leadership team, said he made 17 presentations about Albert Lea’s vitality efforts during 2010, including at national health conferences.

“We are doing local initiatives and because of the publicity we’ve received, we’ve also had a chance to reach out and share the vitality story with other places,” Graham said.

He said he wants the community to know the projects are alive and well.

“People within the community can see the changes taking place to the community,” he said. “If they go to restaurants, to the grocery stores, Community Education classes, so many of these things are a result of the vitality efforts.”

Graham said a lot of what has been taking place during the last year has been developing tools, policies and environmental changes, what he called “the backbone” of making initiatives sustainable.

“The question that is asked all the time by people who call me is, ‘Is this sustainable or is it that there was substantial energy at the time?’” he said.

Ellen Kehr said Albert Lea has the largest worksite initiative going in southern Minnesota and the community has the only chamber in this part of the state with a standing committee on worksite wellness.

“We get calls from everywhere,” she said. “I get calls all the time asking how we got stuff done. I say we got it done with our partners. I think the community as a whole feels this is the right track for Freeborn County and they want it. They would be very sad if it went away.

“Our big thing has been sustainability. Every single initiative has had to have a sustainable piece. Is it going to live on? Is there someone who can keep this going?”

Pat Mulso, another member of the leadership team for the National Vitality Center, encouraged people to go to www.healthyfreeborncounty.org to check out the many initiatives taking place in the city.

“It’s about making our community a healthier place and a better place,” Mulso said.

Vitality initiatives initiated during the last 12 months:

• Developed and managed a community website at www.healthyfreeborncounty.org.
• Continued the walking moai initiative for the summer 2010 with prizes.
• Provided free Yoga in the Park for area residents.
• Implemented healthy snack carts in five elementary schools.
• Provided two elementary schools with refrigerators to store fresh fruits and vegetables.
• Created a school garden and educational program with free access to area youth%0