2010-02-04 - United Way Announces Investments to Help Ensure Healthier Lives

Battle Creek, MI – In greater Battle Creek, it is evident that there are large pockets of the population that are struggling to provide a healthy environment for themselves and their families.  As more people have experienced lay-offs, reduced work hours or job loss in general, they are faced with the difficult decisions of how to ensure that their loved ones are receiving the care necessary to lead a long and healthy life. The number of individuals without health insurance continues to climb.  In 2009, approximately 27% of people in Calhoun County were uninsured, up from 16% in 2007.  Additionally, an estimated 41,000 people have no dental coverage whatsoever.  Most of these people live in poverty and for them lack of coverage means lack of access. People in the community continue to make choices between paying for food, paying medical bills or getting necessary prescriptions.  Access to food continues to be the top request of individuals who call the 211 Call Center for assistance.  Sixty-one percent of the households that receive food through the Food Bank of South Central Michigan’s network receive food stamps, but say that on average they only last 2 weeks, leaving them to find alternative sources of help. Families should not have to send children to bed hungry or suffering from chronic dental pain because they can’t afford food or the care they need.  As a community we can pool the resources necessary to ensure that this isn’t the case by investing in programs that are designed to effectively fill these gaps. Over the past year, United Way of Greater Battle Creek (UWGBC) has been undergoing some very exciting changes in the way donor dollars are invested back in the community.  “While we have always been extremely responsible with the contributions in which we have been entrusted,” said Chris Sargent, president of UWGBC, “it is safe to say that the change to Advancing the Common Good as our strategic direction has helped make us more focused and deliberate with the investments we make as well as the ability to clearly measure and report on the results the programs are achieving.” Health is the first of the three pillars to be funded under the Advancing the Common Good strategic focus.  It will be followed by Education and Income, respectively, over the next two years.  Each is a building block for a good life – a quality education that leads to a stable job, enough income to support a family, good health, and access to basic human needs.  Each is connected and interdependent and by creating change in each of these areas, we can make greater Battle Creek a community of hope and opportunity for a better tomorrow for all. United Way understands the goal of building a foundation of a healthier life for all cannot be accomplished in isolation.  Assistance was sought in the form of local physicians, leaders in the health care community, members of Regional Health Alliance, and health care service providers.  All were brought together to identify the most critical health related needs and challenges for the people of this community. The above statistics are just a sampling of the data that was taken into consideration when the United Way Health Vision Council set out to develop the new Health Investment Area.   As a result of the process it was determined that in order to improve the overall health in greater Battle Creek investments needed to be made in four areas each with an intended result. 1) Access to Health Care - all individuals have access to health care services 2) Maternal and Infant Health -  all babies are born healthy and thrive 3) Healthy Lifestyles – increased quality and years of life 4) Basic Needs – filling health services’ gaps Local organizations were then invited to apply for program funding under one of the action areas.  Trained volunteers spent countless hours reviewing each of the applications, interviewing program providers and in the end, determining which of the programs would provide the most impact for the community. Following is a listing of the programs, followed by the organization that provides the service(s), that have been approved for funding under the Health Investment Area: Blood Services, American Red Cross; Child Advocacy, Sexual Assault Services of Calhoun County; The Counseling Center, Family & Children Services; Dentists’ Partnership, Community Healthcare Connections; Domestic Violence, S.A.F.E. Place; Fetal and Infant Mortality Review (FIMR), Calhoun County Public Health Department; Food Distribution, Food Bank of South Central Michigan; Health Assistance Fund, Community Healthcare Connections, Health Care Support for Families, Family Health Center; Health Connections, Latino/Hispanic Community Project; HIV Prevention, Community AIDS Resource and Education Services (C.A.R.E.S); Home-based Services, Family & Children Services; Nursing Clinic of Battle Creek, Community Healthcare Connections; Nurse Family Partnership, Calhoun County Public Health Department; Plan B, Community Healthcare Connections; Prescription Drug Access Program (PDAP), Community Healthcare Connections; and School Wellness Agency, Calhoun County Public Health Department.  In addition, the investment team elected to set aside funds for the development of a community collaborative effort to influence healthy lifestyles. “We are very proud of the product that was created out of this process,” said Rick Odden, community volunteer & chairman of the Health Investment Team.  “It was an intense process, but I am confident that the group (health investment team) made the right decisions for the community.” Thanks to the generosity of United Way donors these programs will receive funding for a three-year period totaling $1,040,000 a year.  This total represents roughly 42% of the estimated $2.44 million United Way allocates to programs each year.  Additionally, United Way invests more than $800,000 in special initiatives and funding for emergency basic needs. United Way of Greater Battle Creek seeks to mobilize the caring power of the community to Advance the Common Good by measurably improving lives.  United Way does this by raising dollars that fund more than 50 local programs operated by 35 nonprofit organizations.  United Way also collaborates with local organizations and people to identify and address emerging needs and issues. -end- United Way of Greater Battle Creek’s mission is to mobilize the caring power of our community to Advance the Common Good by measurably improving lives.  For more information, visit United Way’s office at 34 W. Jackson St., Ste. 4B, Battle Creek MI, 49017, call 269.962.9538 or visit www.unitedwaybattlecreek.org.