SHIP 2.0 Grantees!

CJFMW SHIP is excited to announce our mini-grant awardees for SHIP 2.0! Their mini-grant applications began on February 1st and will continue through June 30, 2013. Mini-grants were awarded to sites who will work in one of nine strategy areas. The following gives a list of grantees and their focus areas:

Community Nutrition
Rural Advantage, a local non-profit organization in Fairmont, MN will work with CJFMW SHIP to establish and sustain a five county food policy council to address issues such as access and affordability to healthy foods. Once the council has been established, a needs assessment will be conducted to identify priority areas and populations within the jurisdiction and mini-grants will be awarded to local organizations and communities to work on achieving the goals established by the council.

Community Active Transportation
The Active Transportation strategy allows communities to provide safe and convenient opportunities for physical activity by incorporating policies and practices which impacts community design, land use, site planning, and facility access. These changes are proven effective at increasing the levels of physical activity. A number of specific policies and practices that create active communities are those that support non-motorized transportation.

The following communities received funds to work on the Community Active Transportation Strategy with CJFMW SHIP:

Voices of Wellness Committee in Wells, MN
City of Jackson, MN
City of Lakefield, MN
Blue Earth Area Active Living Coalition
Watonwan County (A Collaboration with the City of Madelia, City of St. James and Watonwan County)
City of Fairmont, MN

School Nutrition and Physical Activity
There are four strategies schools could choose to work on, which impact nutrition and physical activity. The Active School Day strategy allows schools to implement evidence-based strategies that increase physical activity during the school day. The Safe Routes to School Program allows schools to work with communities to promote walking and biking to and from school. Schools will also be working towards increasing student’s consumption of healthy foods by either incorporating Farm to School program, or by impacting policies and practices related to classroom celebrations, snacks, a la carte, vending and concessions.

The following schools received grants to work on the School Strategy with CJFMW SHIP:

Blue Earth Area Schools—School Nutrition Policies, Active School Day and Safe Routes to School
United South Central Schools - School Nutrition Policies, Farm to School, Safe Routes to School, Active School Day
Fairmont Area Schools —School Nutrition Policies, Safe Routes to School, Active School Day
Martin County West Schools —School Nutrition Policies, Active School Day
Jackson County Central Schools —School Nutrition Policies, Farm to School, Safe Routes to School, Active School Day
Windom Area Schools —School Nutrition Policies, Active School Day
St. James Public Schools—Farm to School and Active School Day

Worksite Wellness
The worksite wellness strategy works with employers to implement policies and practices that help employees be physically active, eat healthier and quit tobacco. There are several different ways worksites can accomplish these goals. SHIP will focus on establishing a worksite wellness committee, addressing company wellness policies and establishing evidence-based practices that are proven to better employee health. Evidence shows that healthier employees benefit employers by keeping health insurance costs down and increasing productivity.

The following worksites received grants to work on the Worksite Strategy with CJFMW SHIP:

3M-Fairmont
Mayo Health Systems– Fairmont
Tony Downs Foods
Madelia Community Hospital
Wells Area Chamber of Commerce
Jackson County
Blue Earth Area Schools
United South Central Schools

Healthy Childcare/Early Childhood
The Healthy Childcare Strategy includes working with childcare centers, licensed home daycares and EFCE to implement policies and curriculum related to incorporating fruits and vegetables and physical activity into the day. In particular, two curriculum will be utilized LANA, Learning about Nutrition through Activities and IMIL, I am Moving, I am Learning. Trainings and materials will be provided at no cost for all childcare providers throughout the five counties. Additionally, mini-grants are available to ECFE and childcare providers to implement the curricula. So far, four mini-grants have been awarded to:

Watonwan County ECFE
Jackson County ECFE
Truman ECFE
Martin County West ECFE

Health Care Referral
The Health Care Referral strategy includes working with health care organizations to implement the –screen-counsel-refer and follow-up process which includes identifying patients with high BMI’s or tobacco use and providing referrals to services for weight loss and tobacco cessation within the community.

The following organizations received grants to work on the Health Care Referral strategy with CJFMW SHIP:

Mayo Health System’s Fairmont
Faribault-Martin County WIC
Cottonwood-Jackson County WIC
Watonwan County WIC
Wellspring Faith in Action

Tobacco Free Housing
The tobacco-free multi-unit housing strategy aims to help property owners, who are ready and willing, implement tobacco-free policies within their complexes. CJFMW is currently conducting an assessment of property owners within the five counties and will begin working with those property owners in the near future.

Tobacco Free Campus
The tobacco free campus strategy includes working with campuses to implement tobacco-free grounds policies and connect students and staff to tobacco cessation services. CJFMW SHIP is working with Presentation College and Minnesota West Campus in Jackson/Fairmont.