Quarterly SHIP Newsletter – January 2023

Hello from the SHIP team! We hope we are finding you healthy and safe in the New Year! SHIP continues to work with schools, workplaces, community, healthcare and well-being in the Anoka County community. We are excited to continue to “Make the Healthy Choice the Easy Choice” for all who live, work, learn, and play in Anoka County. We have lots of exciting projects in the works with our partners this year. If you’d like to say hello or connect, please feel free to reach out to us at SHIP@co.anoka.mn.us. Wishing you all health and well-being in 2023!

2023 SHIP Community Partner Award applications 

Anoka County SHIP is kicking off our Community Partner Awards, formerly called Neighborhood Mini Grants, this month. Anoka County Public Health, in partnership with the Minnesota Department of Health and the Statewide Health Improvement Partnership (SHIP) grant, is pleased to announce this grant opportunity for community organizations, neighborhoods and/or groups located within Anoka County.

Community Partner Award applications are being accepted now through March 17th, 2023.

Organizations can apply for awards up to $3,000 to increase social connectedness of a neighborhood, community, group, etc. with a focus on health through physical activity, healthy eating, mental well-being, and smoke free living. Priority will be given to projects that support populations experiencing health inequities.

Learn more and submit your Community Award Application. Please pass along this opportunity to anyone else who may be interested – we need your help to spread the word!

FREE Lactation Friendly Child Care Training

Course Description: Explore how to improve policies and practices in your program in support of breastfeeding families. Identify best practices in storing, handling, and feeding human milk. Discover how to recognize and respond to feeding cues.

This web-based training will cover the Knowledge and Competency Framework Area: VII. C Providing Healthy Nutrition and CDA Content Area I: Planning a safe, healthy learning environment

Target Audience: Early Childhood Classroom Staff and Family Child Care

To register visit: DEVELOPTOOLMN.ORG OR EAGERTOLEARN.ORG and search “Lactation Friendly Child Care”

In addition to the training opportunity, Anoka County Public Health through the SHIP grant is offering assistance to childcare providers in Anoka County who are interested in working on lactation and breastfeeding support for their staff and the families the provide care for. For more information contact gretchen.etzler@co.anoka.mn.us

SHIP and QCTV: Media that Matters

So often, partners put in amazing work but struggle to make the most of it in their communications out to potential clients, customers or partners. For SHIP’s workplace wellness specialist, Cole Hanson, that challenge has been overwhelming. However, his partnership with QCTV in Champlin has been only the latest vehicle for sharing partner successes across our region. “We partner with dozens of businesses each year, and making sure they feel valued and get a little attention for their work has been very rewarding.”

Cole has been interviewed multiple times for the Anoka Area Chamber of Commerce “Chamber Report” segment, introducing the program and its various resources for workplaces. His latest effort, “SHIP-Shape”, is a program focused on interviewing SHIP partners and giving them a chance to put the spotlight on their own efforts. “It’s an amazing opportunity to connect real people to each other in a way that years of COVID and hybrid work have made difficult. But… if you see your neighbor sprucing up their yard, you might want to do the same! We take that sort of approach with these appearances.”

For SHIP, sharing community stories has always been a point of pride and the best source for new partnerships. “In a small community like Anoka County, people talk and know who will do right by them. We want our neighbors to know that we’re here for them every step of the way.”