Blue Earth County Public Health announced Friday that with support from the Minnesota Department of Health, they will be partnering with schools, communities and businesses across Blue Earth County to support local work to make healthy choices easier. The goal of SHIP is to help make active living, healthy eating and avoiding commercial tobacco more available to more people.
Blue Earth County SHIP’s partners include:
• American Lung Association, Minnesota
• City of Mankato
• Heart & Soil in partnership with the Center for Earth Spirituality and Rural Ministry
• Lake Crystal Early Childhood Initiative
• Lake Crystal-Wellcome Memorial Schools
• Mankato Clinic, Ltd.
• Mankato Hilltop Hy-Vee
• Open Door Health Center
• Region Nine Development Commission
• St. Clair Public School
• Blue Earth County
Kristen Friedrichs, the Blue Earth County SHIP Coordinator, has been working with a diverse group of community members and organizations to review community needs as well as identify strategies and community partners to address those needs.
“We are thrilled to be working with these community leaders, all of whom are excited to improve the health of the people of Blue Earth County,” stated Friedrichs.
Partners will use various proven strategies such as “worksite wellness,” “Safe Routes to School,” and “Complete Streets” to improve worker health, offer kids more physical activity, and make walking and biking safer, to name three strategies.
Support to community partners includes “mini-grants” and technical assistance. Additional opportunities to apply for mini-grant funding are expected to be available as Blue Earth County Public Health continues their SHIP work. To learn more about the SHIP efforts occurring in Blue Earth County, contact Kristen at (507) 304-4411.
Blue Earth County SHIP is part of the Statewide Health Improvement Program of the Minnesota Department of Health. Launched in 2008 as part of Minnesota’s bipartisan health reform effort, SHIP works to help Minnesotans live longer, healthier lives while building healthy, vital communities. Information about statewide SHIP efforts can be found at: http://www.health.state.mn.us/ship/.