Stafford Awarded 'Healthy Town' Designation For 2023

STAFFORD, NJ — Stafford Township has been named a "Healthy Town" by the Mayors Wellness Campaign for the first time, marking its growth in improving the health and wellness of its residents.

The Mayors Wellness Campaign (MWC) is a program of the New Jersey Health Care Quality Institute in partnership with the New Jersey State League of Municipalities.

Stafford previously earned the titles of "Healthy Town To Watch" and "Healthy Town Up-and-Coming," but this is the township's first time reaching the gold level of "Healthy Town."

The 17 cities and towns that reached the highest go above and beyond to improve health and wellness in their communities through innovative programs in areas such as exercise, healthy eating, and mental health education and awareness, according to the MWC.

"The League of Municipalities is excited to see the growth of the MWC Healthy Town designations. It shows what we already know: that community leaders across the state are focused on the health of residents and want to continue to provide these important wellness opportunities at the local level," said Mike Cerra, executive director of the New Jersey League of Municipalities.

Each year, communities participating in the MWC complete a comprehensive Healthy Town application outlining the research they’ve done to identify their community health needs and explaining how they have organized their local MWC committee. The application also highlights the actions the towns have taken to make their communities healthier places to live, work, and play.

Stafford's designation was improved this year thanks to their focus on mental health, older adults, and connecting the community to available health and wellness resources.

"I am so excited for Stafford Township to be recognized by the Quality Institute as a 2023 Healthy Town," said Mayor Robert Henken. "Our Mayors Wellness Committee's mission is to improve the health and wellness of our residents. We recognize that health is more than a visit to the doctor; it's a way of life. Working with our community partners, we'll strive to continue to provide programs and events for all our residents to empower them to improve health outcomes in Stafford. Thank you to the Mayors Wellness Campaign staff, the committee, and the staff for making this possible."