(Chelsea Update would like to thank Matt Pegouskie for the information in this story.)
The Chelsea-Area Wellness Foundation awarded $103,044 in grants on Friday, June 20 for interventions previously approved as part of the 5 Healthy Towns Project.
Seven grants were awarded for interventions in Manchester, four each for Chelsea and Stockbridge, respectively, and one each for Dexter and Grass Lake.
Several notable grant awards are $16,383 to Chelsea Community Hospital for SRSLY Chelsea, $15,000 to Stockbridge Community Schools for a School/Community Greenhouse on school property and $10,700 for renovations to a dormant baseball field in Unadilla Township.
A complete list of awards is found below.
Chelsea
5H Community Read ($5,782) – A collaborative program with libraries in Chelsea, Dexter, Manchester, Grass Lake and Stockbridge. The Community Read raises community awareness by creating a space for community dialogue about wellness. This year’s topic is Connect with Others.
Healthy Grocery Store Initiative ($8,578) – The Healthy Grocery intervention is in its third cycle of funding from the Chelsea-Area Wellness Foundation and third year of partnership with Polly’s Country Market. A dietician will be on site regularly to answer questions, provide recommendations and help customers make healthier choices. Healthy recipes, food demonstrations, additional signage are also included with this grant.
Run for the Rolls ($1,301) – 2014 marks the 8th year of Run for the Rolls. The 1 mile short run down the Chelsea Fair Parade route is lined with approximately 3,000 spectators. It’s open to all ability levels and is a great family-friendly race. Proceeds will help benefit the St. Louis Center’s Fitness for Life Program.
SRSLY Chelsea ($16,383) – This nationally recognized intervention is a community coalition of youth, parents, neighbors, coaches, teachers, librarians, doctors, nurses, police officers, pastors, business owners, and anyone else who wants to prevent destructive behavior in Chelsea youth. Anyone 10 years of age or older can join.
Dexter
Kids Cooking Classes ($3,000) – A continuation of the popular Kids Cooking Classes through Dexter Community Education. The Four-week program teaches kids grades 1-8 new cooking skills, nutrition education and more.
Grass Lake
Big Red Barrel ($2,915) – Jackson County Sheriff, the Village of Grass Lake and the Grass Lake Community Wellness Initiative are partnering to install a Red Barrel prescription drug receptacle in the Sheriff’s sub-station in Grass Lake. The Red Barrel will allow individuals to dispose of unwanted and unused prescription pills anonymously to help lower prescription drug abuse. Needles and liquids are not accepted.
Manchester
Manchester Farmers Market ($8,000) – The Village of Manchester and the Farmers Market Committee will oversee the Farmers Market to gain new vendors and increase its base of customers. The market takes place on Thursdays from 4-7 pm from May through October 9. The funds will be used to pay for a Market Manager, offer coupons for produce, funds for marketing and for hosting events.
Manchester Swimming Lessons ($5,000) – Based on a community survey, transportation to appropriate pool facilities is an area of interest and need in the Manchester community. Summer Swim will facilitate transportation to Chelsea and subsidize lessons for low income families, and provide appropriate adult supervision. This program offers students the opportunity to learn to swim – a lifetime safety and physical activity skill.
Manchester District Library Farmers Market Kiosk ($1,000) – Manchester District Library will augment the events calendar offered at the Farmers Market to increase market sales and promote Manchester Wellness Coalition and MDL programs. The kiosk will feature recipes and a variety of community events.
Manchester Community Garden Collaboration ($500) – Manchester Library will collaborate with the Community & School Garden committee to offer garden seeds and moveable gardens at the Library. The seed library will offer free seeds to the community. The moveable gardens will be used to grow herbs and community members will be allow to cut herbs for their own use.
Manchester Street Festival ($5,000) – The Manchester Street Festival is a combination of events that bring community members and visitors into Manchester on August 2, 2014. The Festival is a collaboration among several community organizations. New for the 2014 Street Festival is a ‘Block of Health’, a Kids Bike Race, a Fireman’s Challenge and a ‘Rubber Ducky Race’ funds will be used to support the Run Manchester 1-mile fun run, 5k & 10k.
Manchester Youth Football ($10,000) – Manchester Youth Football is starting in Manchester because all youth currently have to go to Clinton, Chelsea or Tecumseh to participate in youth football. Given this schedule, Middle School students are excluded due to time constraints. Youth K-6 will be eligible to participate, for both cheerleading and flag/contact football. The funds from the coalition will help secure start-up dollars for the first season.
Manchester Community Composting ($1,200) – Manchester CRC will educate the community about composting materials and provide a drop off and pick-up location for composted materials. The compost site will coordinate with the pre-school garden.
Stockbridge
Unadilla Baseball Field Renovation ($10,700) – Stockbridge Community Schools will refurbish a dormant baseball field located on school property in Unadilla Township for use by youth baseball and adult softball teams and leagues.
Stockbridge Community Greenhouse and Sustainable Agriculture ($15,000) – Stockbridge Community Schools will construct a greenhouse to include four types of gardening systems. Students will learn how to grow their own food and create lifetime skills. The greenhouse will also be made available to resident community-wide.
Small Towns Design Initiative ($2,240) – In partnership with Michigan State University’s Small Town Design Initiative, we will review several public spaces in Stockbridge for ways to improve active living opportunities. Three public meetings will be scheduled to engage Stockbridge residents and create awareness of parks and recreation space in the community.
Community Pathways and Trail Maintenance ($2,685) – Trails around the Stockbridge Middle School and High School areas are well liked and used, but foliage overgrowth is beginning to reduce the path’s accessibility and usability. The grant funds will be used to help maintain a series of trails within the Stockbridge community. The intervention will also install a driveway over a culvert and create a small parking area at the trailhead on Clinton Street across from the high school.
The Chelsea-Area Wellness Foundation is a tax-exempt private foundation governed by a volunteer board of directors. The foundation serves the populations included in the school districts of Chelsea, Dexter, Grass Lake, Manchester and Stockbridge. CWF will grant funds for projects dedicated to creating a culture of wellness and sustainable improvements in health.
