Catawba County Health Partners; Substance Abuse; Access to Care;

From L-R First row: Ellen McCrea, Z. Ann Hoyle, Feleshia Dickerson Back row: Anita Lackey, Sherbia Jones, Maria Reese, Amy Herman, Doug Urland.

Catawba County Health Partners (CCHP) has awarded four $1,000 micro grants to local neighborhood associations. These monies were made available through the state Healthy Carolinians Office for 2006. Each neighborhood association plans to implement projects that relate to the three identified health priorities in our community: access to health care, obesity, and substance abuse. CCHP has determined that local associations are a pivotal part of the strategy to meet the goals and objectives established in the 2010 action plans. A reception was held on Thursday, February 16, 2006 at the Greater Hickory Cooperative Christian Ministry building to honor and congratulate the following grant recipients:

Green Park Neighborhood Association will address obesity and access to care issues by holding weekly exercise programs and health check days for neighborhood residents.

Kenworth Neighborhood Association will address all of the health priorities through a community health fair with information and activities.

Concerned Citizens of Ridgeview will address obesity by providing nutrition education to after school staff and students while also purchasing healthy snacks for all of their centers. They also plan to use peer educators for nutrition education and hold a finale healthy cookout for residents.

Hilltop Education And Resources Together - H.E.A.R.T Center will implement two information programs to address nutrition and physical activity. Local instructors will also be recruited to teach teen groups a hip-hop or weight training class.

Each neighborhood association representative will be paired with a board member from CCHP to assist with the planning, implementation, and evaluation of each project. The purpose for implementing the micro-grant project is to: 1.) Provide needed capacity at the grassroots level to improve health and eliminate health disparities, 2.) Help build and establish relationships through dialogue with diverse populations and, 3.) Mobilize neighborhood groups and empower members to assist with CCHP’s long-term health outcomes.

Photographed from L-R:
First row: Ellen McCrea, Z. Ann Hoyle, Feleshia Dickerson
Back row: Anita Lackey, Sherbia Jones, Maria Reese, Amy Herman, Doug Urland.