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Keep Track of New Initiatives & Community Changes

Updates

The following were new initiatives or changes in our community in 2020:

  • Pisgah Health Foundation and Dogwood Health Trust continued to offer grants to Western North Carolina counties. Pisgah Health Foundation is focused on improving health and wellness by addressing healthy opportunities in targeted social determinants of health areas including health, food insecurity, housing, social cohesion, and education. Dogwood Health Trust funding will address substance use, as well as immediate needs and a "leverage fund" designed to help organizations bring in grants from other funders.
  • The Blue Zones Project conducted community feedback sessions in January and February 2020 on the topics of built environment, food policy, and tobacco policy, which directly affect the community's selected health priorities. The official kick-off was planned for May 2020, but was delayed until September due to COVID-19 limitations. Committees have been meeting remotely to develop plans and policies. The food policy committee is focused on improvements to school food service, restaurants, hospitals, and grocery stores. The tobacco policy committee began work to review and draft options for tobacco-free city buildings and public events.
  • The C.A.R.E. Coalition of Transylvania County was awarded an additional grant to address substance use among county residents, with grantwriting assistance from the Dogwood Health leverage fund. All meetings shifted to remote format (Zoom) in April 2020, but participation and engagement remained high. The coalition is preparing to conduct its second mental health survey of middle and high school students in cooperation with Transylvania County Schools in spring 2021.
  • Transylvania County Commissioners officially signed the ordinance to adopt tobacco-free county buildings, grounds, and parks in February 2020. New signage was installed on county campuses by fall 2020.
  • Healthy Communities funding from NCDPH included strategies to address nicotine use and vaping in schools. An employee of Blue Ridge Community College who works in both county high schools was identified to take the Certified Tobacco Cessation Specialist training, which was completed in June 2020. Promotional materials were distributed to both Brevard and Rosman high schools about the services for students. Public health staff are also working on options for policies or pledges for coaches of youth and school sports to not use tobacco products while coaching and to encourage athletes not to use tobacco products.
  • Healthy Communities strategies also allowed for continued efforts around healthy food access. Public health staff worked with the Transylvania County Hunger Coalition to support food pantries throughout the county. Food distribution continued, although some changes were needed to comply with COVID-19 limitations. A new food pantry was opened at Christ Church of the Nazarene, and hours of operations were extended at Silvermont and Quebec Senior Meal Sites. Public health staff also served on a county-wide feeding committee with representatives from Transylvania County Schools, non-profits, and food pantries. This group worked to distribute information about the school system's efforts to increase food access for students and helped coordinated food assistance for individual families affected by COVID-19.
  • TPH partnered with MountainWise to continue worksite support with funding from Appalachian Regional Commission. Gaia Herbs received its full Breastfeeding-Friendly Workplaces Award designation in January 2020 by meeting all 3 required standards. Public health and Mountainwise staff also worked with Jarrett Brothers IGA Grocery in Rosman to begin offering "Double Up Food Bucks" that provide EBT recipients with $5 coupons to be used for future fruit and vegetable purchases for every $5 spent on produce. This program is also now being offered at the Transylvania Farmer's Market.
  • TPH continued its work with HealthSpace to develop custom environmental health software to house all food, lodging and institutions records as well as well and septic permits.

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