Healthy West Chicago
We need to engage youth, seniors, and everyone in between. We need to connect with and appeal to all ethnicities and socioeconomic groups represented in our community. Our future sustainability depends on it.
~Mayor Ruben Pineda
West Chicago Mayor Ruben Pineda wants many things for his community, and at the top of the list is the overall wellness of its people. Obesity has become a national epidemic across all demographic groups, and West Chicago’s childhood obesity rate is higher than the national average.
As our country embarks on healthcare reform, our best defense will be self-imposed preventative healthcare measures. We need to focus on nutrition and physical fitness solutions that make the healthy choice the easy choice. Healthy lifestyles are difficult to maintain without supportive environments. A collective effort that engages residents, elected officials, schools, faith communities, hospitals, park district, library, restaurants and other local businesses is critical in creating this overall culture of wellness.
Learn more about the initiative to make West Chicago one of the healthiest communities in the region through a commitment to "making the healthy choice the easy choice" when it comes to nutrition and physical activity.
Press Releases
Healthy West Chicago Gets a New Quarterback to Lead Its Team
Videos
Benefits of Drinking Water
Benefits of Walking
Healthy West Chicago Action Plan - .pdf 6MB
Please visit the Healthy West Chicago website.
Recent News About Healthy West Chicago
Cooking Matters
Healthy West Chicago’s 6-week Cooking Matters classes wrapped up Wednesday, October 24, 2018, with a Healthy Cooking Food Competition. What participants didn’t know, was that judging the prepared dishes would be West Chicago Mayor Ruben Pineda, himself a former chef. Mayor Pineda enjoyed the event, and said afterwards, “Great time, great food.” For more information […]
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World Heart Day Celebration Planned for West Chicago
Saturday, September 29, 2018 10:00 a.m. – noon Gary Elementary School – 130 East Forest Avenue The City of West Chicago and Healthy West Chicago will partner with the National Forum for Heart Disease & Stroke Prevention to provide residents with a way to celebrate their achievement in the Move with the Mayor Challenge, as […]
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More Than 1 Million Steps Tracked for Move with the Mayor
Next Walk: Saturday, September 15, 2018 A new digital app created especially for West Chicago residents to track steps toward heart health, has been made possible through a generous donation of a local West Chicago business, Jacobs (formerly CH2M). The app was created by a health-tech startup based in the Silicon Valley, HekaHealth, which worked […]
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Back-to-School Bash Planned at Reed-Keppler Park
Healthy West Chicago and WeGo Together for Kids Host Event Healthy West Chicago and WeGo Together for Kids are partnering on a Back-to-School Bash on Saturday, August 18, 2018 at Reed-Keppler Park, 129 West National Street, West Chicago, IL. All are welcome to join in the day of fun. The day will kick off with […]
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Last Indoor Walk – Sunday, March 18, 2018
The last two indoor walks of the winter are planned for Sunday, March 18, 2018. The 30-minute walk takes place at Community High School’s Field House beginning at 9:00 a.m. Those interested in joining Mayor Pineda and other community members, please enter through Door C. Beginning in April, Mayor Pineda resumes his Team Pineda community […]
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February is American Heart Month – Keep Moving West Chicago
February is American Heart Month and what better way to celebrate than by taking a 30-minute indoor community walk. Healthy West Chicago and Mayor Ruben Pineda continue to encourage residents through example with Keep Moving West Chicago. While the weather outside is frightful, arrangements have been made for the free 30-minute indoor walks at the Community […]
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Healthy West Chicago Gets a New Quarterback to Lead Its Team
Carly Smitherman Hired as Program Administrator for the Community’s Health Initiative West Chicago, Illinois: January 26, 2018 – Healthy West Chicago, a coalition of West Chicago community organizations, is happy to announce the hiring of Carly Smitherman as the new Healthy West Chicago Program Administrator. Carly will be leading the Healthy West Chicago team which […]
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Healthy West Chicago and Common Threads Offer Free Cooking Classes for Students
Healthy West Chicago is happy to be working with Common Threads again this winter to offer FREE cooking classes for students in grades 3 – 8. Join them for this 5 week session of Cooking Skills & World Cuisine, starting every Wednesday from January 10 – February 7, 2018 from 4:30-6:30 p.m. at the Rockwell […]
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Community Leaders Seek Program Administrator for Healthy West Chicago Initiative
West Chicago’s Healthy West Chicago (HWC) Advisory Board, a group of key community leaders who have joined together to promote a healthier West Chicago under the fiscal agent of People Made Visible, Inc., a West Chicago 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, is seeking a Program Administrator for the initiative. The primary and initial focus of the Program […]
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