Get Healthy DeSoto Inc. is a nonprofit organization, established in 2004. Our mission is, “to make a long-lasting positive impact on the health and safety of our community by encouraging healthy lifestyle choices, through programs promoting physical activity, healthy nutrition, weight control and disease and injury prevention.”
This has been our mission from the start and as we see it in motion…we remain steadfast in its worth to our community.
Membership in Get Healthy DeSoto is free to everyone interested in pursuing a healthy lifestyle.
Get Healthy DeSoto offers a variety of programs encouraging healthy lifestyle choices through the promotion of physical activity, healthy nutrition, weight control and disease and injury prevention, and also offers many educational and informational programs.
Get Healthy DeSoto’s programs include the hugely successful De Soto Farmers’ Market, two spectacular Community Gardens, the distribution of 2,500 newsletters to community members weekly, coordination of the extremely successful annual Better Body Challenge, supporting weight loss, facilitation of the weekly People with Arthritis Can Exercise , and facilitation of monthly Healthy Lunch and Learn seminars.
Get Healthy DeSoto also played a role in policy-related change in the City of De Soto, resulting in De Soto Complete Streets Policy. Additionally, GHD facilitates walking, hiking, and bicycling clubs at various times throughout the year, facilitates health screenings, offers informational seminars, and attends health and safety fairs.
The organization has made many contributions to the community. All of the improvements made have been made through fundraisers and with the help of community businessmen, organizations, grant funding, and in-kind donations from the City of De Soto. The improvements include the extension of the walk trail in Walther Park, 11 wellness/exercise stations in Walther park, the walk trail in Spross Park, information kiosks in Walther and Spross Park, a Frisbee golf course in Spross Park, published pocket walking guides, playground equipment in Walther Park, a Complete Streets Policy adopted for the City of De Soto, a Master Bike/Walk plan completed in 2010, and a plan to extend the walking trail in Spross Park.
De Soto residents are taking notice of Get Healthy DeSoto’s accomplishments and the resulting community landscape. More and more people are joining in and taking part. We have witnessed increased activity in our community, a high level of participation in our programs, and residents opting for healthier food choices. Neighboring counties have noticed our achievements, as well, and are beginning to mirror their programs after ours. De Soto is the City of Pride. Get Healthy DeSoto wants its residents to become increasingly prideful of their commitment to healthy living.
Thanks to Get Healthy DeSoto, the De Soto community is moving, growing, and eating….for health.
