Rice County Public Health will hold Face-to-Face hours at the LINK Center every Tuesday from 2:30-5:30pm, beginning next Tuesday, December 13th. Call the LINK Center to make an appointment (507) 664-3500.
Celebrate Summer with “Mondays in the Park”
Last night we had another successful “Monday in the Park” in Faribault. Despite the cool, somewhat rainy weather, over 50 people gathered to socialize, play games with kids, share some food, and just enjoy time together. We are continuing to meet every Monday evening in June and July from 6:30 to 7:30 pm in the park behind the Faribault Middle School. While the focus is on socializing and English practice for women and children, all are welcome to come meet some new friends. Join us if you can!
Hulett Garden breaks ground
On Saturday, May 23 – in the rain – we broke ground for the community garden in the Cannon River Mobile Home Park. Nine families will have small plots this year (10′ x 10′) right in their own neighborhood. The tenth plot will be tended by the children who participate in the summer programming in the neighborhood.
If you have any gardening supplies that you would like to donate, please contact Growing Up Healthy. We are specifically looking for: a large (1000 gallons or more) water tank; a small shed for storing tools; various garden tools; and fencing to surround the garden.
The Growing Up Healthy initiative
The Rice County Growing Up Healthy Planning Project has resulted in many outcomes: a strong collaboration between and among agencies and organizations serving families with young children; a cadre of community members serving as facilitators and leaders; a shared community vision; a community plan to achieve the shared vision; and a greater awareness of the needs of families with young children. But the greatest outcome from this project is, without question, the body of knowledge gained through the community dialog process. Not only did we receive feedback on partner agencies, but we also heard stories from people about how “the system” is not meeting their needs. We learned what families worry about, what keeps them from accessing existing services, and what changes they would like to see made. We were given the opportunity to hear from community members who are often marginalized and overlooked to the point of being unwilling to share information and opinions. And we were also able to gain the trust of many community members who were not necessarily trusting at the beginning of the planning process. It is our greatest hope that we are able to address their concerns and needs in a way that is deserving of their continued trust. The following Shared Community Vision – developed during the planning project – is what continues to guide the Growing Up Healthy project:
Through agency and community collaboration, Growing Up Healthy will collapse barriers, enhance access, and nurture relationships and educational opportunities resulting in a sense of true community spirit that supports an environment where children grow up healthy and thrive.