11-13-2023 9:50pm

Lorton nonprofit launches holistic health initiative for low-income residents

Erika Christ Editor

Sentara Health officials toured LCAC in September after providing a $50,000 grant for the All Can Be Healthy initiative. (Credit: LCAC)

The Lorton Community Action Center (LCAC) has launched a new initiative to help low-income Lorton area residents become healthier and more self-sufficient.

LCAC’s “All Can Be Healthy” initiative, conducted in partnership with the Potomac Health Foundation, Sentara Health and the Medical Care for Children Partnership (MCCP) Foundation, is designed to provide expanded nutritional assistance, more accessible health services and educational programs to around 1,300 community members, according to a Nov. 9 LCAC press release.

The project is in direct response to feedback LCAC received about barriers to health access, which can include unemployment, cost of living increases and negative health outcomes. With its All Can Be Healthy initiative, LCAC aims to increase access to health and wellness resources and strengthen health literacy among clients by increasing nutritious food options at the LCAC food pantry and by expanding programming on nutrition, gardening, exercise and mental health.

The newly launched initiative was funded with a $75,000 grant from the Potomac Health Foundation and a $50,000 grant from Sentara Health. This funding has enabled LCAC to hire a social services manager and client services administrator, as well as to continue building a healthier food pantry focused on fresh produce and foods with lower fat and sodium content. LCAC also plans to create nutritional labels for foods and provide healthy recipes for clients.

To make health services more accessible, LCAC is working with MCCP, which operates a mobile dental clinic, to make sure that uninsured children can get the dental care they need.

“Through the All Can Be Healthy initiative, LCAC will continue to carry out programs and workshops focused on nutrition and mental or physical well-being, strengthen LCAC’s partnerships with health-focused providers to offer more in-depth support for our clients, and make our food pantry healthier,” said Rob Rutland-Brown, executive director at LCAC.