Livewell Greenville

Livewell Greenville (lwg) is a coalition of over 150 partners with a vision to make Greenville county the healthiest place to live in the nation by removing barriers to healthy eating and active living. The coalition intentionally works to break down bureaucratic barriers, reduce duplication, and mutually reinforce current investments in the community. As a result, lwg has grown into a robust partnership comprised of leaders across every sector of Greenville county. Lwg's efforts have been held up nationally as a model for creating community change via a coalition model. Lwg works toward creating societal shifts that result in transformational change through partnerships with governments, businesses, non-profits, and philanthropic organizations while building trust in the communities where change is needed most. The coalition not only adheres to community based participatory research techniques and evidence-based interventions, but also truly addresses health equity for all in Greenville county. 1. Lwg uses the social innovation theory's collective impact model to address the complex problem of obesity. Utilizing the five core components of collective impact- common agenda, shared measurement, mutually reinforcing activities, continuous communication, and backbone support staff - coalition partners create community-level change that affects more than 50,000 at a time. As the backbone of this movement, lwg serves as the neutral convener for organizations with a vested interest in improving the health of the community. 2. Lwg believes that with long lasting policy, system and environmental (pse) change, as opposed to short-term programs, the landscape of our community can change to create a permeating culture of health for all, regardless of income, race, or address. 3. Lwg leads with data and evaluation in decision-making. The coalition draws from its three foundational studies (youth body mass index study, food environment study, parks and environmental justice study) to identify where specific interventions ought to be focused for maximum impact, but also to provide a way to track the effects of pse changes on obesity and chronic disease.