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About Our Town RoCKS:
In the summer of 2008, the S2AY Rural Health Network embarked on an initiative to improve the health status of the 5000+ residents of the neighborhood of the Towns of Barrington and Starkey and the Village of Dundee in Yates County, New York. The selection of the “neighborhood” for this project was made by the Board of Directors of the S2AY Network based upon the recommendation of the Yates Community Health Planning Council, a coalition of Yates County health and human service organizations. The Planning Council recognized that the high levels of poverty experienced by the residents of the Dundee area meant that the impact of the social determinants of health (income, education, environment) would be greatest in this segment of the Yates County population leading them to recommend this neighborhood as the target for the Health Status Improvement initiative. The Health Planning Council continues to serve as the Advisory Committee for the project, receiving monthly reports from project coordinators who are long-standing members of the Council.
Based on available statistics, the needs of this high-poverty community were presumed to be great. However, with the guidance of the Greater Rochester Health Foundation and the technical assistance of the Asset Based Community Development Institute from Northwestern University, the assessment of the neighborhood that was completed in Phase 1 of the project was not an inventory of needs but rather a compilation of the strengths or assets of the community. This inventory of individual, associational, organizational, physical, social and cultural assets (see the Phase I report) revealed an expansive array of people, places and things that this community could draw on to create solutions that would have the long-range goal of improving health.
In the process of collecting information from residents about their individual assets (talents, interests), project organizers also collected responses from residents about their priorities for change and for health status improvement. These resident responses led to a preliminary list of health improvement priorities at the end of Phase I.
Changing Personal Health Behaviors: related to tobacco, drug and alcohol use, physical activity, nutrition, stress management , violence prevention
Increasing Activities: for youth, seniors, families, intergenerational
Increasing Economic Opportunities: more small business, jobs, stores, restaurants, housing
Increasing Services : such as GED classes, transportation, WIC, Family Planning
Beautifying the Project Area: Improve Main Street, parks, general clean-up
In Phase I, a committee of residents, the CHAMPIONS, came together to serve as the neighborhood steering committee for the project. One of the members of that committee volunteered to become the Chairperson of the Committee. CHAMPIONS meets every second Tuesday of the month. In the last half of Phase 1, the CHAMPIONS provided guidance to project coordinators as they collected data, developed the Assessment Report, and devised a methodology for Phase II. Throughout Phase II, the CHAMPIONS group hosted the monthly community meetings that led the area residents to the development of an implementation plan for health improvement. Five workgroups were formed to address the priority areas for health improvment. Phase III implementation began in 2010.
The Champions meetings and the monthly workgroup meetings have led to a plan for implementation of projects in three focus areas (physical, social and economic health), using multiple strategies and numerous activities over the next three (3) to six (6) years.
In the summer of 2008, the S2AY Rural Health Network embarked on an initiative to improve the health status of the 5000+ residents of the neighborhood of the Towns of Barrington and Starkey and the Village of Dundee in Yates County, New York. The selection of the “neighborhood” for this project was made by the Board of Directors of the S2AY Network based upon the recommendation of the Yates Community Health Planning Council, a coalition of Yates County health and human service organizations. The Planning Council recognized that the high levels of poverty experienced by the residents of the Dundee area meant that the impact of the social determinants of health (income, education, environment) would be greatest in this segment of the Yates County population leading them to recommend this neighborhood as the target for the Health Status Improvement initiative. The Health Planning Council continues to serve as the Advisory Committee for the project, receiving monthly reports from project coordinators who are long-standing members of the Council.
Based on available statistics, the needs of this high-poverty community were presumed to be great. However, with the guidance of the Greater Rochester Health Foundation and the technical assistance of the Asset Based Community Development Institute from Northwestern University, the assessment of the neighborhood that was completed in Phase 1 of the project was not an inventory of needs but rather a compilation of the strengths or assets of the community. This inventory of individual, associational, organizational, physical, social and cultural assets (see the Phase I report) revealed an expansive array of people, places and things that this community could draw on to create solutions that would have the long-range goal of improving health.
In the process of collecting information from residents about their individual assets (talents, interests), project organizers also collected responses from residents about their priorities for change and for health status improvement. These resident responses led to a preliminary list of health improvement priorities at the end of Phase I.
Changing Personal Health Behaviors: related to tobacco, drug and alcohol use, physical activity, nutrition, stress management , violence prevention
Increasing Activities: for youth, seniors, families, intergenerational
Increasing Economic Opportunities: more small business, jobs, stores, restaurants, housing
Increasing Services : such as GED classes, transportation, WIC, Family Planning
Beautifying the Project Area: Improve Main Street, parks, general clean-up
In Phase I, a committee of residents, the CHAMPIONS, came together to serve as the neighborhood steering committee for the project. One of the members of that committee volunteered to become the Chairperson of the Committee. CHAMPIONS meets every second Tuesday of the month. In the last half of Phase 1, the CHAMPIONS provided guidance to project coordinators as they collected data, developed the Assessment Report, and devised a methodology for Phase II. Throughout Phase II, the CHAMPIONS group hosted the monthly community meetings that led the area residents to the development of an implementation plan for health improvement. Five workgroups were formed to address the priority areas for health improvment. Phase III implementation began in 2010.
The Champions meetings and the monthly workgroup meetings have led to a plan for implementation of projects in three focus areas (physical, social and economic health), using multiple strategies and numerous activities over the next three (3) to six (6) years.
Did you know that people who live in thriving communities are actually healthier than people who live in communities that are not doing as well? We hope that by now you have heard about the exciting new project that we are working on in the Towns of Barrington and Starkey and the Village of Dundee. We are trying to improve the health and well-being of the residents in the area by finding ways to help the whole community grow and prosper.
The Bright Red Bookshelf is a project of Our Town RoCKS. It is designed to give all children in the neighborhood access to books by recirculating gently used children's books back into the community free for families to keep. Community members can support this effort by contributing gently used children's books for infants, toddlers, and beginning readers at collection sites at Servu Credit Union, Dundee Headstart, Dundee Presbyterian Church, Martini's ShurFine and the Classic Cafe.
The Bright Red Bookshelf is a project of Our Town RoCKS. It is designed to give all children in the neighborhood access to books by recirculating gently used children's books back into the community free for families to keep. Community members can support this effort by contributing gently used children's books for infants, toddlers, and beginning readers at collection sites at Servu Credit Union, Dundee Headstart, Dundee Presbyterian Church, Martini's ShurFine and the Classic Cafe.
Carrie Wood, Leader Girl Scout Troop, 139, Norva Wood, owner of the Classic Cafe, and Host to the Bright Red Boodshelf the girls in front are from Troop 139 and are "tenders" of this bookshelf. |
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The Mitten Tree
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This project is made possible by the Greater Rochester Health Foundation
and the S2AY Rural Health Network
Thank you for your support!
and the S2AY Rural Health Network
Thank you for your support!
