Freehold Borough Earns Healthy Town Designation For 2024

FREEHOLD BOROUGH, NJ — Freehold Borough has once again earned a “Healthy Town” designation for 2024 from the NJ Health Care Quality Institute’s Mayors Wellness Campaign (MWC).

Cities and towns that earn Healthy Town designations 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, officials said.

In Freehold Borough, food initiatives such as mobile pantries, fresh produce vouchers and the Community Kitchen have improved access while fostering social connections, officials said.

Partnering with the Freehold Family Health Center, the borough has referred over 1,500 residents to care. By expanding bike safety programs and infrastructure through participatory budgeting, the borough has also further supported community well-being.

“The Borough of Freehold is honored to be recognized by the Quality Institute as a 2024 Healthy Town again,” Mayor Kevin Kane said. "Our various programs provide all residents of our diverse community with opportunities to learn healthy habits. Our parks and outdoor spaces continue to improve, and we provide organized indoor events for all ages.”

“We focus on not just the physical, but the emotional, social and safety aspects of a healthy community,” Kane continued. “We look forward to continuing our work with local partners and businesses to improve the health and wellness of our residents. Thank you to the Mayors Wellness Campaign Committee members, our municipal staff and all our volunteers for making this possible.”

The Mayors Wellness Campaign is a program of the Quality Institute in partnership with the NJ State 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’ve organized their local MWC committee.

The application also highlights the actions towns have taken to make their communities healthier places to live, work, age and play.

“It’s incredible to see the MWC Healthy Town designations keep growing year after year. It’s proof that New Jersey’s community leaders aren’t just talking about health and wellness; they’re making it,” said Mike Cerra, executive director of the New Jersey League of Municipalities. “From small towns to big cities, these leaders are showing up for their residents and building healthier, more vibrant communities.”

In addition to the campaign’s record-breaking 32 “Healthy Town” winners, another 16 towns were also designated as 2024 “Healthy Town to Watch,” and seven were designated as 2024 “Healthy Town Up-and-Coming.”

To see a full list of the winning towns, boroughs and cities, or to learn more, you can visit the NJ Health Care Quality Institute website.