Background on the Capital City Wellness Project

The Office of Health Promotion (OHP), within the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, along with over 35 participating businesses, is leading a two-year Capital City Wellness Pilot Project funded by the Sunflower Foundation and in support of the Governor's Healthy Kansas Initiative. Through the Capital City Wellness project, staff are working with downtown employers to design and implement a community wellness initiative aimed at supporting employer efforts to increase daily physical activity among downtown employees and promoting the Capital City Mid-Week Farmers' Market as both a walking destination and a resource for increasing access to fresh, locally grown produce in Downtown Topeka employees.

The Capital City Project aims to: 1) improve current health behaviors of employees by increasing opportunities for physical activities and fresh produce, and (2) support employers in effecting changes in worksite policies that promote physical activity and the consumption of fruits and vegetables among employees. OHP staff are facilitating a process of strengthening partnerships between downtown government, non-profit and for profit businesses to promote a healthier community for downtown Topeka employees.