Wholespire is leading the Community Mobility priority with the South Carolina Department of Public Health.
West Columbia, SC – February 20, 2024 – Healthy Palmetto, a coalition of more than 40 organizations committed to improving health outcomes in South Carolina, successfully unveiled its 2025-2029 Statewide Action Plan for Healthy Eating and Active Living at the Swipe Right for Health: Unveiling the Statewide Action Plan event held at the T. Ashton Phillips Market Center in West Columbia.
“This initiative is about more than just preventing disease—it’s about promoting overall well-being for everyone in South Carolina,” said Lori Phillips, director of the Nutrition, Physical Activity and Obesity Prevention Section Director at the South Carolina Department of Public Health. “By working together, we can create environments that make healthy choices easier and more accessible.”
The newly launched Action Plan focuses on six strategic priorities developed through extensive collaboration among experts and community stakeholders. The goal is to ensure that all South Carolinians have access to nutritious and affordable food and safe, accessible spaces for physical activity.
While Wholespire continues its role as a backbone organization of Healthy Palmetto, they are also providing community coalition support and technical assistance for the Community Mobility priority, alongside the SC Department of Public Health. Initial support is focusing on a cohort of action-ready communities committed to improving active transportation and community mobility.
“Active transportation and community mobility are not new initiatives for us,” said Meg Stanley, executive director of Wholespire. “We have always advocated for and supported walking, biking and rolling as a safe form of transportation. In fact, we recently worked with the Department of Public Health and five communities on a similar initiative in 2023, and we’re using this experience to inform our work for the Healthy Palmetto community mobility priority.”
Stanley is referring to the Walkability Action Institute/Walkability Virtual Academy in which the National Association of Chronic Disease Directors and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention provided national experts and assistance on best practices for designing walkable communities for people of all ages and abilities. The community teams learned about the importance of walkable communities, types of changes that can be implemented and, most importantly, the required routes of authority to implement improvement projects, among other key information.
Community mobility falls under the broader category of built environment, a key community planning concept. It plays a critical role in public health by shaping the spaces where people live, work, and play. Well-designed built environments can promote physical activity, improve air and water quality, enhance access to healthy food, and reduce health disparities, while poorly designed environments can contribute to chronic diseases, injuries, and inequities in health outcomes.
“As a coalition, we are committed to taking collective action to support healthier communities,” said Stanley. “A goal without a plan is just a dream—this Action Plan and the work we are doing in the community mobility space solidifies our commitment to making South Carolina a place where quality of life is a priority.”
Organizations and individuals across the state are encouraged to get involved by leveraging their resources and working collaboratively to advance the Action Plan’s priorities. Visit www.healthypalmetto.org to find out how you can connect with the lead organizations for each priority and get start on collaboration for good health.
About Wholespire
Wholespire, a statewide nonprofit, focuses on inspiring wellness through its network of community health coalitions, state agency partnerships and stakeholders at non-profit organizations, secondary and higher education institutions, state and local government, among others.
About Healthy Palmetto
Healthy Palmetto is a coalition of partners dedicated to unifying and mobilizing efforts around healthy eating and active living in South Carolina. By fostering collaboration and prioritizing evidence-based strategies, the coalition strives to make South Carolina a place where everyone has the opportunity to thrive.