Building Capacity for Health Improvement in Rural Grundy County, TN Emily Partin, LPC Grundy County Health Council

Grundy County, Tennessee is located on the Southernmost part of the Cumberland Plateau as it intersects the state.

Signs of stress in Grundy? Median Household Income: $26,856 ($44,621 TN; $53,482 US) 71.1% High School or greater 9.7% Bachelor’s degree or higher (compared to 24.4% in TN and 29.3% in the US) Tracy City Elementary (pre-K-8th): 89% economically disadvantaged 76.2% of 3-8th grade TCE students are reading below grade level; 51.6% in TN Economic performance is among the bottom 10% of all counties in the US School system is the largest employer No dentist in the county, one optometrist, and 3 primary care providers as well as a FQHC Still don’t have reference for median income or picture. Don’t know where the last 3 bullets came from. United States Census Bureau. (2014). Educational attainment: 2010-2014 American Community Survey 5-year estimates. Retrieved from https://factfinder.census.gov/faces/tableservices/jsf/pages/productview.xhtml?pid=ACS_14_5YR_S1501&prodType=table Tennessee Department of Education. (2014). State Report Card. Retrieved from https://www.tn.gov/education/topic/report-card

AmeriCorps VISTA Founded in 1965 Became part of AmeriCorps in 1993 Focused on combating poverty VISTAs have one year, full-time positions at non- profits or public agencies Capacity building as opposed to direct service Info taken from http://www.nationalservice.gov/programs/americorps/americorps-vista

Partnership between the South Cumberland Community Fund (SCCF) and Sewanee: The University of the South’s Office of Civic Engagement The SCCF endorses the idea that “one of the best ways to strengthen a community is by strengthening the nonprofit organizations in its area.” “and supported with diabetes dollars” ??? Quotation from: http://www.southcumberlandcommunityfund.org/capacity-building-program

Grundy is in its 3rd year of original VISTA Assignment Descriptions (VADs) The goal of the Grundy County Health Council Vista project is to expand/strengthen the Council’s ability to partner with local health care social service agencies, and churches to develop a community-wide health information, education network as a means of improving the health of Grundy County’s low income individuals and families.

Year 1 focus: Develop a comprehensive Community Resource Manual, including all local churches Identified over 100 Churches, listing address and contact person Work with afterschool fitness programs and community wide health related programs Research, develop, and implement programs for tobacco prevention and cessation in the schools Act as mentors for the University students placed in afterschool programs Promote sustainability

Year 2 Cohort

Year 2 focus: Exploring the possibility of the Health Council becoming a 501(c)3 implementing our new Health Ambassador Program Develop best practice guidelines for school and community gardens and plan curriculum Develop best practice guidelines for afterschool physical fitness program and plan curriculum Manage content for website and social media Promote sustainability

Year 3 Cohort

Year 3 focus Continue to explore 501(c)3 possibility and extend/expand Health Ambassador Program Expand Run Clubs into more elementary schools (grant with Mountain Goat Trail Alliance) Support school gardens Promote sustainability

The GCHC VISTA program was made possible only because of the generous diabetes grant received in 2012. Thank YOU!!