SHIP: STATEWIDE HEALTH IMPROVEMENT PARTNERSHIP

SHIP: Statewide Health Improvement

Partnership

November 2016 Co-Coordinators:

Amber Amdahl & Ashlie Johnson

BENSON BIKES: STAY FIT, HAVE FUN! BIKE. WALK. RUN. COUNTRYSIDE PUBLIC HEALTH, SHIP

Benson Bikes started on July 16, 2016 through Benson Kids Day Parade! Countryside Public Health, SHIP partnered with Benson Community Ed and Pilgrim’s Congregational to increase active living in Benson through a free to use bike fleet.

The bike station is located at Pilgrim Congregational, which was chosen because of its unique summer program that serves free lunch for kids from noon-one pm. every day. Pilgrim’s is also surrounded by the Public Library and Roosevelt Park.

Currently Benson Bikes includes three turquoise bikes (one adult bike and two kid bikes). There is one matching bike rack and a yellow Fix It Station. . Next year another turquoise bike rack will be placed at Countryside Public Health. Many community members and Benson Kiwanis are excited about Benson Bikes and have volunteered to donate bikes!

The free bikes are ridden on an honor system for anyone in the community in order to increase the accessibility of safe biking. The repairs of Benson Bikes are done from a volunteer from Kerkhoven. Gaylon volunteers his time, bikes, and parts to the bike fleet. We are fortunate to have a community this excited about active living!

Letter to the Editor: “A Great Service”

“Having an office that overlooks the turquoise blue Benson Bike rack on the lawn of the

Pilgrim Congregational United Church of Christ lawn, I have been delighted to see what a success this has been! I have seen

children and adults use these bikes for both recreation and to run errands around town. Having spoken with some of the adults who have used the bikes, I have been told that they use the bikes to go to the grocery store and other businesses in town. Furthermore, many times, both children and adults with their own bikes will stop by to use the Fix It Station that stands beside the bike rack. This Fix It Station provides a variety of bicycle tools, as well as a bicycle air pump. Well done to Ashlie Johnson and Countryside Public Health for providing the Benson Bikes for our community! Thank you to the kind souls who took the time to prepare the bikes and to install the bike rack and the Fix It Station. Benson is fortunate to have such thoughtful and caring people in our area- they are a treasure.”

–The Rev. Will Warnock, Benson

Bike Station:

Benson Bikes:

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Healthy Eating: Together we can increase healthy eating, the

accessibility of fresh fruits and vegetables, and make the healthy choice the easy choice. Countryside SHIP has

partnered with: Lamecker’s General Store in Kerkhoven, Prairie Five

Food Shelf, Milan Community Garden, Schools, Farm 2 School, Great Lakes Great Apple Crunch Day, and

Farmer’s Markets: Kerkhoven, Montevideo, Madison, Dawson, Appleton, Benson, Ortonville, and Graceville.

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Benson School Garden has been a great success with over 2,000 pounds of vegetables picked and froze for the upcoming school year. Fresh produce was donated to local senior dining,

food shelf, and Pilgrim Congregational children’s meal. The gardens were planted with the help of elementary and high

school students. Produce includes: pole beans, lettuce, spinach, herbs, peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers, onions,

carrots, potatoes, pumpkins, and squash. The high school garden, elementary garden, and greenhouse are managed by

Benson School Food Service, Agriculture Department, and FFA.

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SHIP & Benson School Conquer Farm to School

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“I love being able to stand at the tables.

When I get antsy at my desk, I can go to the standing tables and get my

work done.” -LQPV Student

LQPV STANDING DESKS

Clarkfield Charter

Dawson-Boyd School District KMS Elementary

(Kerkhoven, Murdock, Sunburg) Bert Raney Elementary- YME

(Yellow Medicine East) Benson High School MACCRAY School District

Montevideo School District Lac qui Parle School District

School Walk Audit

SHIP and Schools:

Why Does SHIP Partner:

-Countryside SHIP partnered with 17 school activities,

reaching 4,600 students.-

SHIP has partnered with our area schools in active living and healthy eating in order to increase physical

activity and healthy choices. Our Farm to School projects have increased student’s access to

healthy food and in the long run increased their fruit and vegetable intake in a variety of populations.

Our active classrooms have increased attention and academic progress for our students. Our bike

stations have provided an opportunity for more kids to ride

bikes to school, and have motivated the schools to provide

bike education. Both of these things have increased physical

activity in our schools. We have increased healthy eating options

through better kitchen equipment, salad bars, water bottle stations,

and farm to school efforts. We have increased opportunities to be

active through standing desks, stability balls, bike stations, and safe routes to school planning. Schools and SHIP collaborate together to form a Wellness

Committee to better the wellness of their school and staff through

policy and environmental change.

“KMS has many students walking and biking to school in the Murdock

and Kerkhoven Campuses. We are excited to partner with SHIP, RDC,

and the Safe Routes to School Program to increase active

transportation in our district. “ -KMS Staff

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To improve the health and well-being of rural

Minnesotans in Big Stone, Chippewa, Lac qui

Parle, Swift, and Yellow Medicine Counties by

working collaboratively to protect, promote, and

support breastfeeding.

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Tobacco: SHIP has raised awareness of the tobacco industry and the targeted youth sales through point of sale audits, updating ordinances to include e-cigarettes and other restrictions, tobacco surveys, tobacco signage, and billboards. The word clouds to the left are results from our Swift County Fair Tobacco Survey; and the words associated with e-cigarettes and cigarettes. SHIP is currently continuing tobacco prevention and education in the cities of: Benson, Murdock, and Wood Lake; along with providing more education and signage to Big Stone, Lac qui Parle, Swift, and Chippewa Counties.

F

5 County Population: 43,673 5 County Demographics: White: 41,934 Black/African American: 240 American Indian/Alaskan Native: 601 Asian/Pacific Islander: 373 Hispanic/Latino: 1,509 Two or more races: 418

-2014 Census- Active Partner Sites: 44 Strategies Implemented: 49 SHIP Grant: $381,299.00 Health Equity: Countryside SHIP incorporates health equity within their partner sites through schools, age, culture, population, and chronic disease populations. MN Obesity Facts: Obesity rates in 9th graders increased from 9.1%in 2013 to 10.2% in 2016. Overall results from 2015-71% of adults are overweight or obese. MN Tobacco Facts: Youth cigarette smoking hits an all time low, & e-cigarette vaping increases! Nearly 1 in 5 teens now uses e-cigarettes in MN; but the all time low of 8.4% of 11th graders and 4.3% of 8th grades report smoking cigarettes in the past 30 days. Meanwhile 17.1% of 11th graders and 9.3% of 9th graders report vaping e-cigarettes in the last 30 days. 40% of tobacco users’ smoke/vape a flavor. (2016 MDH Center for Health Statistics)