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Join the Adopting Healthy Habits Community Coalition

Adopting Healthy Habits Community Coalition Mission and Vision

Mission Statement:

Community Collaboration to make healthy choices easier for the tri-county region. 

Main Vision Statement: 

Members of the Community Coalition will identify, develop, and promote initiatives to support environmental change, policy, and practices that increase access and opportunities for healthy lifestyles for our community. 

In 2011, Cornell Cooperative Extension and Cornell University's Division of Nutritional Science began a collaborative effort to make the North Country a healthier place to live, work, and play through their Adopting Healthy Habits (AHH) Initiative across the tri-county region. 

Over the past six years, AHH has set several objectives which have led to many positive outcomes for the communities in Northern New York. Interested organizations and individuals from each county are invited to join the coalition, which is based in Jefferson County. 

Specific Responsibilities of Coalition Members:

  • Participate in the development and implementation of action plans that carry out the mission statement.
  • Attend Community Coalition meetings and/or conference calls.
  • Participate in the identification, selection, and promotion of innovative healthy initiatives.
  • Help assess community needs and identify existing resources.
  • Promote the Adopting Healthy Habits Community Coalition through traditional and social media outlets as outlined in the marketing and communications plan. 
  • Strive to coordinate programs and resources to maximize impact. 
  • Assist in the recruitment of additional agency and community representatives to serve as coalition members. 

Personal Qualities:

  • Commitment to improving the health of Jefferson, Lewis, and St. Lawrence County residents. 
  • Broad perspective in identifying and planning programs. 
  • Enthusiasm, resourcefulness, and creativity. 

Serving as a Member of the Coalition will provide you with the opportunities to:

  • Broaden your knowledge
  • Gain new experience and skills
  • Increase communication skills
  • Networking with other community professionals

Current Active Members of the AHH Community Coalition Include:

  • North Country Prenatal/Perinatal Council
  • Pivot
  • YMCA
  • Watertown Urban Mission
  • Jefferson County Public Health
  • Lewis County Public Health
  • St. Lawrence County Public Health
  • Planned Parenthood - North Country 
  • Samaritan Medical Center
  • A Woman's Perspective Health Clinic
  • Community Action Planning Council
  • North Country Family Health Center/WIC
  • Army Public Health Nursing - Fort Drum
  • NCCC/WIC - Lewis County
  • WIC - St. Lawrence County

Some of the outcomes of Adopting Healthy Habits include:

  • From 2012-2014, providing mini-grants totaling $25,000 to fund organizations who wanted to foster policy and environment changes to make healthy choices easier for individuals and families in the North Country. 
  • Creating television and radio commercials, as well as online and print newspaper and magazine ads, and an Adopting Healthy Habits Facebook page to increase visibility. 
  • In 2013, forming a tri-county breastfeeding coalition to normalize breastfeeding as the preferred feeding method for the health of babies and mothers.
  • Developing and promoting an array of initiatives to promote healthy practices, guidelines, and policies within local businesses and organizations include:
    • Healthy Snack Policy
    • Worksite Wellness
    • Healthy Fundraising Guidelines
    • Park Farther, Walk More
    • Breastfeeding Friendly Environments
    • Healthy Hosting Initiative
    • Local Fare/Lighter Fare
    • Nourish Your Neighbor: Healthy Food Drives

Contact

April Bennett
Nutrition, Food, & Wellness Program Manager
Aln48@cornell.edu
315-788-8450 ext. 265

Last updated July 30, 2019