RIVER FALLS, Wis. 4/19/2018 — Seventy-one community nonprofits and local government organizations are the newest recipients of Neighborhood Health Connection grants from Allina Health. The grants support on-going activities that promote social connections through healthy eating and physical activity among adults in local communities.
In western Wisconsin, River Falls Area Hospital, part of Allina Health, received 11 applications and granted the following eight organizations a total of $29,831:
• BRIDGE for Community Life — Go & Grow
• City of River Falls Parks and Recreation — Yoga in the Park
• Friends of Willow River and Kinnickinnic State Parks — Women in the Parks
• Prescott Public Library — Community Yoga and Cooking Classes
• River Falls Housing Authority — Just for the Health of It
• Senior Center Coalition of St. Croix County — Second Saturday Senior Activity and Lunch Social
• Spring Valley Seniors Staying Put — Expanding Horizons Healthy Living
• Turningpoint — Empowered Women's Half Marathon and Women's 5K: Training Teams for Victims/Survivor
The 71 selected programs were chosen through a competitive application process that was open to community nonprofits and local government organizations who wanted to start or strengthen a program. Funded activities included, but were not limited to the following:
• Planting, caring for and sharing in the bounty of a community garden
• Exercise and education classes for seniors and their families
• Wellness program for residents of an emergency shelter
• Family fitness nights at a local school
• Walking club for residents of a housing complex
“Year after year we’re pleasantly surprised with the level of interest in making communities healthier,” says Ruth Olkon, manager of Community Health Improvement for Allina Health. “The ideas presented were very creative and we received over 150 applications from throughout Minnesota and western Wisconsin.”
The grants, ranging from $500 to $10,000, are part of Neighborhood Health Connection™, a community program developed by Allina Health to improve the health of communities through social connections, healthy eating and physical activity.
River Falls Area Hospital, part of Allina Health, is a not-for-profit regional medical center committed to providing quality, comprehensive care to patients in western Wisconsin - from disease prevention to innovative diagnostic and treatment services for simple to complex medical conditions. The hospital provides a full range of inpatient, outpatient, cancer care and emergency care services.
Allina Health is dedicated to the prevention and treatment of illness and enhancing the greater health of individuals, families and communities throughout Minnesota and western Wisconsin. A not-for-profit health care system, Allina Health cares for patients from beginning to end-of-life through its 90+ clinics, 10 hospitals / 13 campuses, 15 retail pharmacies, and many specialty care centers and specialty medical services, home care, and emergency medical transportation services.