The Community Transformation Grant Project is a state-funded initiative designed to promote tobacco-free living, active living, and healthy eating among residents of Anson, Cumberland, Harnett, Hoke, Lee, Montgomery, Moore, Randolph, Richmond and Scotland counties. The following appeared in the CTG Region 6 newsletter:
Partners in Health and Wholeness, an initiative of the North Carolina Council of Churches, is designed to bridge issues of faith and health together. We are working with churches all over the state of North Carolina to support congregations in their pursuit to better health. There are more than one hundred and seventy churches who have taken advantage of our mini-grants ranging from $500-$1000 dollars. Within the Central South-East Region of North Carolina, we have been able to bring in more than $28,000 dollars to support community gardens, creating tobacco-free church campuses, and promoting healthy habits.
In order to advance the PHW certification program, the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina Foundation centered their equipment-only grant 2013 cycle for churches in specific sixteen counties where PHW has Regional Consultants. These equipment-only grants “provide an opportunity for organizations to access the tools they need to start, enhance or expand their work towards helping their communities achieve the health gains of increased physical activity and access to healthy food,” as the BCBSNC Foundation says on its website. These grants can also be used to start community gardens, and compliment very well the new community transformation grant (CTG) given to the N.C. Division of Public Health.
The $7.4 million awarded to the N.C. Division of Public Health to support public health efforts to reduce chronic illnesses and other health promotion initiatives is taken root in this region. The CTG leads are available to assist congregations who are interested in connecting with healthy food promotion. For example, for a church that already has a garden, the CTG leads can help set up a farm stand to sell the produce.
I’m looking forward to working with the CTG leads and congregations who have the zeal to change their communities from the inside of the congregation to the outside community.
Thank You
-Joy Williams, PHW Regional Consultant
Partners in Health and Wholeness is an initiative of the North Carolina Council of Churches. PHW aims to connect health as a faith issue. Please visit our website to sign your personal pledge to be healthier, and to find out about grant opportunities for places of worship in NC.
