South Salem walking program gets $50,000 boost

In a way, by her own assessment, it was a selfish initiative.

Jennifer Carley had a partner she walked with every morning at 5:30 in her South Salem neighborhood. Then the walking buddy moved, and a solo walk was not a big enough motivator to get her out of bed at dawn.

But she knew there were other walkers in her neighborhood, so she got to thinking: "People are more likely to go out walking if they can meet someone and have a commitment. Why don't we grab all these people and have them invite other people?"

That simple idea has grown to regular neighborhood walks led only not by her, but also by other volunteers who have bought into social strolls.

She hosts one that begins every Sunday at LifeSource Natural Foods, there's one that goes through Minto-Brown Island Park, and there's another one in the Judson Middle School area.

Soon, this simple, grassroots neighborhood activity will become an official program of the OSU Extension Service, thanks to a one-year, $50,000 grant from the Salem Health Community Partnership Grant.

A part-time coordinator, volunteers and participants are now all Just Walk Salem needs to expand throughout the Salem-Keizer area. A kick-off walk event is set for April 1, though the specifics are not yet determined.

Among the volunteer walk leaders who have taken Carley's idea and created her own successful neighborhood walk program is Barbara Gordon.

She leads the walk three times a week in the Judson Middle School area and walks about two miles on various routes. Not only are the walks healthy habits, they have allowed Gordon to get to know her neighbors and her neighborhood.

"We have explored our whole area out here," she said.

Before Gordon started the walks a couple of years ago, her neighbors only socialized one night a year, on National Night Out. The weekly walks have allowed regular visits among the neighbors, and one of the walkers has started an annual Fourth of July party for the neighborhood, she said.

On a sunny and mild morning this week, one of the original organizers of Just Walk Salem, Pat Norman, joined Gordon's walk. She sang Gordon's praises, saying her walk was exactly what she, Carley and the other committee members had in mind when creating the program.

"We just want people to energize their neighborhood," she said.

As a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner, Carley is a fan of walking as a means of getting and staying well, physically and mentally. The OSU Extension Service is also hoping the program will help reduce obesity, diabetes and social isolation.

"Diabetes prevalence has been increasing in our community and across Oregon and in the nation," said Tonya Johnson, family and community health faculty at the extension service.

She said more than 8 percent of Marion County's population has been diagnosed with diabetes, and there are likely more who have not yet been diagnosed. In addition, younger and younger people are getting type 2 diabetes, which can be prevented or managed through diet and exercise.

The program has already proved effective for some participants, at least anecdotally.

One person lost 100 pounds, and others have come out of their shells because of the social outlet the walks provided, Carley said.

"Now we are on the road to expanding this walking program to the whole city so it's really exciting," she said.

syoo@StatesmanJournal.com, (503) 399-6673 or follow at Twitter.com/syoo.