“Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity” – World Health Organization

The Ottauquechee Health Foundation has long recognized that the definition of health goes beyond the absence of illness or injury.  To honor this, in the fall of 2009, the Board of Trustees set aside $100,000 for a 3-year Health Promotion Grant Initiative within its organizational grant program. Over the past two years, the initiative has focused community efforts on promoting the “complete physical, mental and social well being,” that OHF, following the World Health Organization, defines as health.

Since the fall of 2009, OHF has granted over $81,000 – 40% of all organizational grants given during this time period – specifically for health promotion activities.

On the impact of the Foundation’s funding, Peter Allison, Director of the Upper Valley Farm to School Network, had this to say: “The seed grant from the OHF to the Upper Valley Farm to School Network came at a pivotal point in the development and growth of our organization. The funds supported our efforts to initially get into some new schools, meet the teachers and staff, and work with students on some hands on projects.  As importantly, the OHF staff and board provided valuable suggestions and ideas for new partnerships and connections in the community. And the OHF seed grant served as matching funds for several other funding proposals.  Combined, OHF’s initial funding, ideas, and connections have helped to leverage over a dozen subsequent funding opportunities, representing a twenty-fold increase in dollars to support our efforts to strengthen the connections between our schools and local farms and the food they produce. Just 3 years later, the UVFTS has grown from an idea to a thriving regional network that involves over 30 schools in the region.”

The Foundation awards grants, through its Organizational Grant Program, to not-for-profit organizations that serve people residing in the towns of Barnard, Bridgewater, Hartland, Killington, Plymouth, Pomfret, Reading and Woodstock, as well as the Village of Quechee.  Grant proposals from organizations that do not serve this area directly cannot be considered.

Grant proposals with a health promotion focus will be welcome with the regular Fall Organizational Grants, due on September 30, 2011.  Organizational Grant applications can be found at http://www.ohfvt.org, or by calling the office at 802-457-4188.

For a description of our Health Promotion Initiative, please click here.

Projects supported through the Health Promotion Initiative over the past 2 years include:

• substance abuse prevention training through Second Growth for 6 elementary and middle schools and a weekly substance abuse support group for older Woodstock youth
• an Upper Valley Trails Alliance project to promote winter outdoor exercise for children in 9 elementary schools in our community
• Farm to School programming in local schools
• substance abuse and bullying prevention activities for local high school-aged youth through Spectrum Teen Center and the Ottauquechee Community Partnership (OCP)
• physical exercise promotion activities through the Friends of the Ottauquechee Trail (FOOT)
• the local Trek to Taste event
• a fitness and nutrition program at Zack’s Place
• health-related outreach case management through Hannah House for local teen parents
• a nutrition education program provided by Willing Hands at Hartland’s Food Pantry
• a nutrition education program provided by The Haven to people in our catchment area
• prevention, education, and health promotion through Good Neighbor Health and Red Logan Dental Clinics to people in our catchment area.