AMHERST, MA – The Health Department commissioned the regional Healthy Hampshire program of the Collaborative for Educational Services to get data that highlights the needs for the 2,000 or so residents living in about 780 units and focuses on ways of easing their access to food and fitness and promoting a healthy lifestyle.
Sarah Bankert, coordinator of the Healthy Hampshire program, said the idea is to provide people who live in the East Hadley Road neighborhood with opportunities that many other Amherst residents already enjoy.

“We want to really figure out how to have this neighborhood experience the same level of abundance as others in Amherst,” Bankert said.

Healthy Hampshire, which includes Amherst, Northampton, Belchertown and Williamsburg, aims to make systemwide changes in the communities.