In concert with its mission to promote healthy lifestyles and provide information to families with young children, Benevilla’s Family Resource Center, funded through a grant from First Things First, hosted a “Healthy Families, Healthy Kids Fair” on the main campus on April 9, 2011. Vendors, clowns, bouncy houses, entertainment and good eats were all part of this event aimed at supporting healthy lifestyles for today’s growing families.

Images from the 2011 Healthy Families, Healthy Kids Fair

First Things First was created in 2006, when Arizona voters – through the Proposition 203 ballot initiative – decided to set aside 80 cents from each pack of cigarettes sold in order to fund the expansion of education and health programs for children 5 years old and younger. Under the terms of the proposition, decisions about how to best use the funds are made on a per‐region basis by 31 councils made up of local leaders. The statewide board – which has final approval of the councils’ recommendations – is responsible for ensuring that the funds are used on programs proven to work at improving outcomes for children.