[Press Release] : FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Columbia/Boone County Department of Public Health and Human Services and the PedNet Coalition Announce Healthy Community Partnership Winners

[Press Releases]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Maureen Coy, Health Educator
(573)874-7559 or mkc at gocolumbiamo.com

Columbia/Boone County Department of Public Health and Human Services and the PedNet Coalition Announce Healthy Community Partnership Winners

COLUMBIA, MO (October 4, 2013) - (COLUMBIA, MO) – The Columbia/Boone County Department of Public Health and Human Services along with the PedNet Coalition announced the Healthy Community Partnership (HCP) winners for 2013 at the Annual Social Awards program. Winners are as follows.

 

Mike Heimos

Mike manages the City of Columbia’s Stormwater Education and Outreach program and was nominated for his work with the Unite4Health Community Garden, located just west of Public Health and Human Services on Worley Street.  Mike advocated the partnership between Public Works and Public Health and Human Services in order to use this previously vacant land for a community garden, something that could truly benefit the neighborhood and WIC participants.   With his expertise, he has been instrumental in the continual improvements to the garden.  

 

Bill McKelvey

Bill has been the president of the Community Garden Coalition (CGC) of Columbia and Boone County for the past five years.  In his time with CGC, Bill has broadened the network of community gardens from 17 in 2007 to 30 in 2013.  He has helped increase CGC’s income, helped  plan for the 30th anniversary celebration of the CGC this year, and helped lead the redevelopment of the Ash Street Garden, one of the larger gardens in Columbia.

 

Dan Harder

Dan Harder has been a dedicated advocate for Columbia's trail system for many years.  When the City's proposed Grindstone Trail ran into opposition from residents of the East Point neighborhood, Dan (who lives in this neighborhood) worked hard to ensure the trail proposal received a fair hearing.  He worked with Council members, Parks and Recreation staff and other neighborhood advocates to address specific concerns with the trail alignment and further expand support for the trail.  Throughout the process, Dan emphasized the community health benefits of this trail and the trail system in general.

 

Southern Boone Learning Garden (SBLG)

The SBLG began in 2007 as after-school clubs serving 13 students, run by two moms interested in having kids know where their food came from. The mothers also desired to help kids develop the necessary skills to garden throughout their lives.  Since 2007, SBLG has expanded to serve approximately 750 students pre-K through 5th grade yearly. They have approximately 130 community members volunteer their time each year; 35 teachers have their classes participate in gardening education throughout the school day; and over 100 students have participated in the after-school club over the past year.

 

Drew Brooks was awarded the Healthy Community Person of the Year

Drew Brooks is the Multi- Modal Manager for City of Columbia Public Works.  When Public Health and Human Services, in collaboration with the PedNet Coalition, CoMET (Columbians for Modern Efficient Transit), and Central Missouri Community Action conducted its first Health Impact Assessment (HIA) on transit expansion in 2011, Drew lent his expertise to the project, ultimately finding that expanding public transit in Columbia would have positive health benefits for Columbia citizens. In developing the proposed follow-up project, CoMo Connect, Drew and his team carefully considered recommendations from the HIA to construct a route system that offers Columbians better access to health care, healthy food options, employment, and opportunities for recreation. As a strong advocate for a more efficient public transit system, Drew has consistently worked toward solutions that benefit our most vulnerable citizens, with the creation of a transit system that attracts riders from all wal
 
 ks of life, further benefitting the overall health of our residents.

 

The HCP was established approximately 10 years ago by the Columbia/Boone County Department of Public Health and Human Services and the PedNet Coalition to serve as a loose coalition of public and private agencies interested in making Columbia a "healthy community" through programs, environmental changes and public policy initiatives.  There are approximately 100 partner organizations, businesses and individuals, each of which has committed to appoint a primary contact and to be open to partnership activities that advance the goal of the HCP.

 

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This release has the following attachments:

http://www.gocolumbiamo.com/CMS/pressreleases/downloadfile.php?id=433



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