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Chronic diseases of the 21st Century — heart disease, diabetes, obesity, asthma and depression — can be impacted by surrounding environments. There is a connection, for example, between the fact that the urban sprawl we live with makes no room for sidewalks or bike paths and the fact that we are an overweight, heart disease-ridden society.
The policy, systems, and environmental work of Live Well helps move Crawford County towards better indicators of health and wellness. We believe that everyone in our communities deserve the chance to make the healthy choice wherever they live, work or play.
Live Well has continued to grow since being established in 2007, and now consists of five unique task forces: Eat Well, Age Well, Breathe Well, Live Active, and Addiction Prevention. Each group meets either monthly or quarterly and is full of changemakers, stakeholders, and passionate and knowledgeable community members.
Live Well Crawford County began with the assistance of the Kansas Health Foundation in order to promote healthy lifestyle choices through education, motivation, and support for all generations.
Coordinated the “Pathways to a Healthy Kansas” work and efforts for the following healthy implementations:
Facilitated Crossroads/Real Colors Prevention Programs to 7th grade students at Girard Middle School
C.O.P.E. (Communities Organizing to Promote Equity)
Awarded All Hands on DEC (Drug Endangered Children) grant
Live Well is awarded a $2,000 general funds grant from the Community Foundation of Southeast Kansas. These funds are used to match the Pittsburg Area Young Professionals board contribution of $2,000 to purchase new bicycles for children from local, low resource families. A project which ultimately raises over $9,000 and distributes 103 bicycles.
Live Well is awarded a $17,000 grant from the Pritchet Trust to fund the creation of an Outdoor Exercise Park. This project was part of the 2022 goals of the Pittsburg Area Young Professionals. It will be the first of its kind in Southeast Kansas, will create an all-weather fitness station at Lakeside Park in Pittsburg so that adults can work out while their kids play.
Live Well takes part in the Communities Organizing to Promote Equity (COPE) grant from the Kansas University Medical Center and forms a Local Health Equity Action Team (L-HEAT) to guide the work. The L-HEAT decides to focus their efforts on improving the health of the county’s homeless poulation and hosts a Food For Your Thoughts forum which brings together over 30 community members, half of which were homeless themselves. The residents work together to identify the five projects which, if improved or created, would most likely affect the lives of those experiencing homelessness. As of late 2022, the group is waiting on approval to designate approximately $35,000 worth of funds towards a 90-day winter overnight shelter hosted by the Wesley House.
Live Well is awarded the Community Partner of the Year Award from the Pittsburg Area Young Professionals for writing grants on their behalf to match PAYP’s contribution to their annual Christmas Bike Drive project as well as to fund the creation of the county’s first ever outdoor exercise station at Lakeside Park in PIttsburg.
Live Well is awarded a $2,000 general funds grant from the Community Foundation of Southeast Kansas. These funds are used to match the Pittsburg Area Young Professionals board contribution of $2,000 to purchase new bicycles for children from local, low resource families. A project which ultimately raises over $9,000 and distributes 103 bicycles.
Live Well is awarded a $17,000 grant from the Pritchet Trust to fund the creation of an Outdoor Exercise Park. This project was part of the 2022 goals of the Pittsburg Area Young Professionals. It will be the first of its kind in Southeast Kansas, will create an all-weather fitness station at Lakeside Park in Pittsburg so that adults can work out while their kids play.
Live Well takes part in the Communities Organizing to Promote Equity (COPE) grant from the Kansas University Medical Center and forms a Local Health Equity Action Team (L-HEAT) to guide the work. The L-HEAT decides to focus their efforts on improving the health of the county’s homeless poulation and hosts a Food For Your Thoughts forum which brings together over 30 community members, half of which were homeless themselves. The residents work together to identify the five projects which, if improved or created, would most likely affect the lives of those experiencing homelessness. As of late 2022, the group is waiting on approval to designate approximately $35,000 worth of funds towards a 90-day winter overnight shelter hosted by the Wesley House.
Live Well is awarded the Community Partner of the Year Award from the Pittsburg Area Young Professionals for writing grants on their behalf to match PAYP’s contribution to their annual Christmas Bike Drive project as well as to fund the creation of the county’s first ever outdoor exercise station at Lakeside Park in PIttsburg.
Live Well officially obtains 501(c)3 nonprofit status from the Internal Revenue Service, allowing the organization to exit the umbrella of the Community Foundation of Southeast Kansas and apply for grants on their own behalf.
Live Well participates in the Kansas Beats the Virus campaign hosted by the Kansas Leadership Center during which they develop a plan to help slow the spread of Covid by reducing the number of positive shoppers inside grocery stores. A guide was developed identifying all curbside and delivery options for groceries in the county and was distributed over 13,000 times in print and online. The project is featured as one of five cases studies by the Third Floor Research Team at KLC.
The Crawford County Community Coalition designates Eat Well as their official Food Insecurity Task Force. A subcommittee is formed which creates the county’s first ever all-inclusive Food Resource Guide, a document which is distributed thousands of times by local agencies. The guide is translated into Spanish in 2021 and Marshalese in 2022.
Live Well works with the Arma Nutrition Council’s Community Garden Committee to plant, care for, and harvest a 3 season garden which grows 2,000 pounds of food that was distributed for free through the Arma City Library Food Pantry.
Using funds from a Sunflower Foundation grant, Live Well completes the construction of the McCune Community High Tunnel which consists of 18 raised beds which are utilized by community volunteers from the Osage Church of the Brethren’s Osage Garden Club and McCune Lion’s Club to grow healthy foods for the McCune Church of the Nazarene Food Pantry.
Live Well is awarded Phase 2 of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Pathways to a Healthy Kansas grant Focus: Addressing the social determinants of health through policy changes related to:
Live Well launches the Feed Arma ioby crowdfunding campaign which raises $9,400 in less than one month to establish the Arma Community Garden and Arma City Library Food Pantry as well as expand the student pantry at Northeast High School.
Live Well partners with Pittsburg State University senior engineering students to design and build a one-of-a-kind pedicab to give bike rides to those with physical limitations
Live Well partners with The Lord’s Diner of Pittsburg who begins serving 250+ free meals to the Arma area once-a-week
Live Well partners with Kansas State Research and Extension Wildcat District who begins offering monthly Nutrition Education classes at the Arma City Library
Live Well is awarded a $25,000 Impact & Capacity Grant from the Kansas Health Foundation to transition from a community coalition to a formal 501(c)3 nonprofit and provide formal training for the Board of Directors
Through a series of Community Conversations at the Arma City Library, Live Well helps establish the Arma Nutrition Council, a resident leadership team Focus: Increase access to healthy foods through nutrition projects
Live Well partners with the Kansas Leadership Center who offers trainings for the Arma Nutrition Council on effective resident-led community change initiatives.
Live Well is awarded the $262,500 Healthy Communities Initiative: Improving Health Equity in Kansas (HCI:HE) grant from the Kansas Health Foundation Focus: Improving the health of Arma residents through creative solutions to improve local food systems
City of Girard adopts the Active Transportation Master Plan, prepared by PedNet.
Crawford County Commission Board approves resolution to establish a 10-city Active Transportation Advisory Board
LWCC establishes the Breathe Well Task Force and Age Well Task Force.
City of Girard passes an ordinance to establish the Active Transportation Advisory Board.
City of Pittsburg adopts the Active Transportation Master Plan, prepared by PedNet.
New Venture Advisors conducts a Community Food Assessment for Crawford County. Focus: Evaluated the local food system, healthy eating behaviors, healthy and economic development.
LWCC is named 2015 Kansas Health Championship Organization by the Governor’s Council on Fitness.
LWCC is awarded funds from the Girard Area Community Foundation for trail activities on the Born Learning Trail.
Eat Well Task Force is awarded a $40,000 Food Policy Implementation Grant from the Kansas Health Foundation. Focus: Worksite wellness and increasing locally grown food for local consumption.
Crawford County Commission Board approves and establishes a Food Policy Council.
LWCC establishes the Live Active Task Force and Eat Well Task Force.
City of Pittsburg passes an ordinance to establish the Active Transportation Advisory Board.
Crawford County Commission Board approves and establishes a Food Policy Council.
LWCC establishes the Live Active Task Force and Eat Well Task Force.
City of Pittsburg passes an ordinance to establish the Active Transportation Advisory Board.
LWCC hosts Mark Fenton, a national public health planning and transportation consultant.
Awarded a $125,000 4-year Healthy Community Initiative (HCI) planning Grant from the Kansas Health Foundation. Focus: Create an Active Transportation Advisory Council and develop a Master Biking/Walking Pedestrian plan for Crawford County
Community Foundation of Southeast Kansas is awarded a $45,000 3-year Nutrition and Physical Activity Project Grant from the Kansas Health Foundation. Focus: Created Live Well Coordinator position, raised awareness of LWCC and funded health initiatives:
LWCC hosts Health & Wellness Learning Sessions at county schools. Held 60 after-school wellness sessions in school buildings such as strength building, eating right, Zumba, street management, gardening, aerobics, golf, tennis and biking.
LWCC hosts Health & Wellness Learning Sessions at county schools. Held 60 after-school wellness sessions in school buildings such as strength building, eating right, Zumba, street management, gardening, aerobics, golf, tennis and biking.
Live Well Crawford County (LWCC) is established.
Community Foundation of Southeast of Kansas is awarded a Nutrition and Physical Activity (NAPA) Grant from the Kansas Health Foundation. Focus: Form a health coalition to implement nutrition and physical activity improvements in Crawford County.
Brad Stroud, executive director
620-704-0019
bstroud@crawfordcohd.org
