Community Grant Project Year 2
January 1, 2017 – December 31, 2017

The UI College of Public Health’s Business Leadership Network Community Grant Program supports projects and activities that build collaborations and support community well-being. Additional support from the UI Provost’s Office of Outreach and Engagement, Iowa Farm Bureau Federation, and the Roy J. Carver Charitable Trust has funded the community grant program.

Grant Awards:
The following seven recipients received cash grant awards of $3,000:

Athletics for Education and Success, Fort Dodge
The One Step Further project aims to provide low-income, at-risk and under-served adults and families safe and affordable fitness and social activities to promote healthy choices and help fight obesity and substance abuse.

Carry on Bags, Fairfield
The Greatest Impact project seeks to determine the most nutritional and effective food items for their program that aims to provide food security for children outside of school hours.

Fort Dodge Senior High School, Fort Dodge
The STORYTELLERS:  Changing Lives One Story at a Time project will work to bring awareness to mental health issues and advance the well-being of youth through theatrical performances by a group of high school students. Performances at K-12 schools, civic organizations, and conferences, will cover such topics as substance abuse and suicide prevention, anti-bullying, and diversity acceptance.

Main Street Ottumwa, Ottumwa
Inspiring Opportunities with Art will work to build creative placemaking capacity, improve community livability, inspire collaboration between arts, public health, transportation and economic development, and develop a model for quick, cost effective creative placemaking.

Rathbun Lake Area YMCA, Centerville
The NuStep Quality of Life Fitness Equipment project aims to keep seniors who have completed physical therapy healthy through use of fitness equipment designed specifically to provide safe low-impact workouts in order to continue their employment, live independently and be engaged in their community.

United Way of Wapello County, Ottumwa
The Crock Pot Cooking Classes project seeks to combat diabetes and obesity by making healthy eating easier for families living in poverty. Free cooking classes, a free crockpot, and healthy recipes which utilize food items families receive from local food pantries and community gardens will be offered.

Van Buren County Hospital – Healthy Villages, Keosauqua
The Exploring the Outdoors project will work to provide health and wellness education to community members through adding instructional signage to new exercise stations along the newly built Riverfront Trail. Signs will also include educational tips such as how to determine a target heart rate.