Chelsea-Area Wellness Foundation to Invest Another $100,000 in Manchester – Year 4 Wellness Plan Approved

The Manchester Wellness Coalition was notified on June 22 that its Year 4 Wellness Plan, covering the period July 2015-June 2016, was approved for $100,000 in funding from the Chelsea-Area Wellness Foundation (CWF). The Year 4 plan includes 13 programs, infrastructure projects, and other activities for the Manchester community, to help with our 5 Healthy Towns objectives to eat better, move more, connect with others in healthy ways, and avoid unhealthy substances.

The Manchester Wellness Coalition is a group of local volunteers representing several community interests, which meets monthly to review health and wellness data for our area, identify needs in the community, and develop programs to address those needs. The Coalition has functioned since 2010, in partnership with the CWF, the other 5 Healthy Towns communities, and our local non-profits, schools, library and village government, to prioritize these needs and prepare grant requests for funding. To date, Manchester has received approximately $470,000 in CWF funding for projects, as well as development of the Manchester Wellness Center through a joint-use agreement with Manchester Community Schools.

For 2015-2016, the approved 13 projects include:

Continuing Projects:

1. Gazebo Concert Support – Hosted by the Village of Manchester, 7‐8 concerts will be planned over the warm months to offer local residents an opportunity to connect and socialize with community members of all ages. Funding Request: $1,200.00
2. 5H Community Read – Coordinated by the Manchester District Library with support from all 5H towns, Community Read has been a cornerstone of the 5H wellness message. In Year 4, Community Read will focus on Avoiding Unhealthy Substances with a feature book and a variety of events promoting literacy, love of reading, and coming together to share in a wellness culture. Funding Request: $2,000.00
3. Farmer’s Market – To increase the availability of fresh local produce, the Manchester Farmer’s Market will open again May 7 to October 8 and coordinate with local events to promote vendors and increased participation. Funding Request: $8,000.00
4. Community and School Gardens – Funds will be used for the 2016 gardens. Now in its 4th year, Manchester Community Schools hosts our Community Garden with garden plots and raised beds for residents of all ages. In addition, our School Gardening initiative for Klager students in grades K‐4 and our pre‐school gardening continues. Funding Request: $2,500.00
5. Healthy Chefs – Manchester Schools sponsor this award winning program which promotes optimal eating patterns and nutritional cooking among high school and elementary school students. Funding Request: $10,800
6. Safe Routes to School – Now in its third year in the Manchester community, Manchester Schools and the Village of Manchester work together with other community organizations and local law enforcement to engage youth to bike and walk to school. Funding Request: $20,000
7. Youth Football – To increase physical activity and reduce screen time among youth, Manchester Schools supports this intervention focusing on strength and conditioning training, and safety in learning the fundamentals of football and cheer. In addition, this intervention provides lots of opportunity for friends and family to come together and watch the games. Funding Request: $8,080.00

New Projects:

1. Retirement Community Planning – The Village of Manchester will plan and promote two community forums and gather relevant data, to provide continuing dialogue with members of the Manchester community about the need and scope of a Manchester‐based retirement community. This intervention is conducted in collaboration with CWF, UMRC and Chelsea Silver Maples. Funding Request: $5,000.00
2. Body Image – The Year of the Wonder Woman is the theme for these important community forums focused on body image for women of all ages. Funding Request: $1,200.00
3. Stress Management – A variety of stress management workshops will be held. Some will focus on the stress transition to high school, others will focus on the school staff, parents and other community members. The focus is on identifying stress levels and ways to stop and manage stress. Funding Request: $6,690.00
4. Dance, Manchester! With oversight from the Manchester Wellness Center, Dance, Manchester! proposes 9 community wide dances for adults of all ages. Contra dancing and traditional dancing is a great way to increase physical activity and have fun. Monthly dances will be hosted at Emanuel United Church of Christ from September through May. Funding Request: $5,400.00
5. Adaptive Movement ‐ Ballet Chelsea is the oversight organization for an innovative program which aims to encourage people with limited physical abilities to move more. This population is often excluded from traditional exercise programs because individuals have health issues such as poor balance potentially leading to falls, poor coordination and higher obesity rates. Funding Request: $ 5,500.00
6. SRSLY/Communities Mobilizing for Change on Alcohol (CMCA) is a community organizing effort designed to change policies and practices of major community institutions in ways that reduce access to alcohol by teenagers, thereby reducing teen drinking and the associated health and social problems. Three program interventions will be coordinated in Manchester, including the established track records of Project TNT, Project Success, and SRSLY. Funding Request: $ 24,130.00

Our approved Year 4 Plan is available for viewing or download here: Manchester Wellness Coalition Year 4 Plan Final with intervention tables

The Coalition welcomes new members who have an interest in our 5 Healthy Towns initiative, or who have a new idea or proposal for consideration. We meet 4th Tuesdays at noon in the Village Room at the Village Offices. To be added to our e-mail list and keep up with our work, and for any notifications, please e-mail Ray Berg at rayberg@att.net.

Kirk Park Team in Action.

MHS Jazz Band played last month at the Manchester Farmers Market located in Chi Bro Park.

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by Ray Berg