Introduction/Background
Seneca Towns Engaging People for Solutions (STEPS) and residents of Covert, Lodi, Ovid and Romulus will develop a long-term Neighborhood Health Improvement Plan to address the physical, social, and economic health priorities based on focus areas identified in the Community Engagement and Assessment process in year one of the grant.

Focus Areas
The top three (3) areas of focus the community has chosen are:

Increasing Economic and Educational Opportunities
- Planning strategies focused on education, a key driver of income that determines one’s employment prospects. Even a few additional years of education can make a difference in income level and thus one’s health status. Also parents in high income brackets have fewer obese children than low income parents.
- Identifying ways to promote local businesses (small business, jobs for youth) resulting in opportunities for youth and youth retention.

Improving the Physical Environment
- Beautifying the project area, for example improving appearance of “first impression” main streets.
- Promoting of green technology and addressing environmental issues for a sustainable community are also areas of interest.
- Improving the physical environment or “quality of life” may also include brain storming ways to improve housing and/or creating an intergenerational gathering space.
- Enhancing the natural beauty and assets in our area, lake access for local residents or other infrastructure improvements may evolve into advocacy activities.

Personal Wellness
- Increasing social connectedness in the neighborhood. This work group will brainstorm activities for increasing social opportunities/activities for youth, seniors, and families.
- Exploring the development of a ‘Welcome Wagon” program.
- Identifying activities for promoting a healthy social environment- i.e. substance free environment.

To view the meeting minutes for these workgroups, please visit the STEPS website at www.senecasteps.org