Grant will help provide ‘Healthy Food for All’

DOVER-FOXCROFT — The Maine Health Access Foundation (MeHAF) has selected 11 Maine communities to implement projects in the foundation’s “Healthy Community” grant initiative. Among the recipients is the Piscataquis Regional YMCA, with $185,334 awarded for the Feel Good Piscataquis! Healthy Food for All initiative.
The grants are part of MeHAF’s work to improve health and promote collaborative, locally led efforts that can help transform communities into supportive environments that enable people to live healthier lives. MeHAF is awarding over $2 million for the 11 three-year projects.
The grantees were selected from among 16 communities that had three years of planning support from MeHAF to facilitate discussions among diverse stakeholders to identify health issues that are a high priority in the community. Each local effort developed a plan that aligns the work of multiple sectors to address the selected issues. Communities plan to address health issues that include substance use disorder and behavioral health, obesity and nutrition, safe neighborhoods and aging.
“The communities are using a variety of strategies to coordinate and align the appropriate organizations, sectors, and resources to address these critical health issues, while leveraging MeHAF funds with other sources of support to implement and sustain their projects,” said Barbara Leonard, MeHAF president and CEO.
Charles Dwyer, MeHAF program officer overseeing the program said, “One of the most significant features of the projects is their commitment to meaningfully engage and develop the capacity of community members most affected by the selected health issue so that they have tangible involvement in framing the solutions.”