City Councilor Leslie Dubois (l.), City Administrator Ed Barrett and city Wellness Team Chair Joyce Ruby accept the Work Healthy Gold Award conveyed to the City of Lewiston recently by Healthy Androscoggin.

City honored with Healthy Androscoggin Gold Award

The Work Healthy program of Healthy Androscoggin, which recognizes businesses and organizations within Greater Androscoggin County that place a high priority on promoting good health for their employees, recently conveyed its highest honor to the City of Lewiston.

Highly respected throughout the state as as a model on how to effectively facilitate a municipal wellness program, the City of Lewiston’s Wellness Team, which operates with grant funding and resources provided by the Maine Municipal Association, has the full support of city administrators.

In tandem with the city’s health promotion programs and policies, events and activities facilitated by the Wellness Team provide multiple avenues for employees and their families to achieve or enhance a healthy lifestyle. A city-wide calendar issued to employees every three months promotes available activities that encompass walking, weight loss, personal fitness, Lunch ’n Learn classes, skating, local farmers market drawings, regular blood pressure and cholesterol screenings, and observances of national and worldwide health initiatives.

“We’re excited about this award, which is an honor and a distinction that we’ve been striving to achieve,” said City of Lewiston Wellness Team Chair Joyce Ruby. “All the hard work of the team and our employees has paid off, and this recognition will no doubt inspire us to keep up the good work.”

Healthy Androscoggin’s Work Healthy program encourages employers to provide initiatives to encourage their employees to embrace a tobacco-free lifestyle, physical activity and healthy eating. Workers benefit from improved quality of life, while businesses and organizations realize the benefits of reduced absenteeism, reduced disability costs, reduced health care costs, improved productivity and higher employee morale. Along with the Gold Award, the program also issues Silver, Bronze, and Merit Awards.