Community Builders

In July, the Community Building Council, and sub-CBC group, the planning committee, solidified the action items that needed to take place for the community assessment process to remain on track to be released in September of 2021. This involved creating an infographic to better communicate to CBC members, and those taking part in the assessment gathering process, the order of events taking place (see attached). 

The first of four assessments, the “Forces of Change” survey, is being conducted with key stakeholders in our community. CBC members, and other United Way representatives, have been provided materials to conduct this survey at community meetings throughout Adams County. This process with continue through the end of this year.

The Community Building Council, and all solutions teams, have continued to meet via video conference calls with continued high attendance through summer and now into fall. Solutions teams are currently forming their goals for 2021, many creating a Plan A and a Plan B, depending when in person events potentially resume.

Here are some highlights of solution team activity:

• The Mental Health Team coordinated with the United Way Helpline to identify potential partnerships with mental health organizations and the Helpline to not only help clients with their immediate needs, but their mental health needs as well. The team also continues to circulate the Mental Health Resource flyer that was created in the spring of 2020 in response to rising mental health concerns in response to COVID-19.
• The Wellness and Prevention Team is currently planning a social media “Take Over Day”, beginning in November, to give Adams County residents health tips to stay physically active and healthy over the winter months.
• This team also continues to share the ‘5210’ (5 fruits and vegetables a day, 2 hours or less of screen time, 1 hour or more of physical activity, and zero sugary drinks) message through the flyer they created to circulate via social media and virtual communication in lieu of their traditional event attendance.
• The Grade Level Reading Campaign Solutions Team is investigating avenues to be of assistance to Adams County schools and after school programs and continues to distribute books to families throughout the county. The team also recently submitted a letter request to The Samantha Otte Fund, managed by the Community Foundation, for $1,000 to provide books to families of young children taking part in the ‘Covered Bottoms’ program that provides diapers to low income families in Adams County.
• The Substance Abuse Coalition has resumed meetings this fall, under the new leadership of Beth Forbes with the Adams County Health Department, and set the focus for 2021 on Narcan training, vaping and youth, and scheduling a touch, smell and see drug training in conjunction with the “Hidden in Plain Site” program. 
• All Our Kids Network (AOK) continues to make progress on their ‘Covered Bottoms’ Diaper Bank initiative. CBDB received its first order of 30,000 diapers at the end of August. The bank has 10 partner agencies that provide diapers to their clients. The purpose of the bank is to help families in need fill that gap (about 50 diapers monthly). CBDB is strictly funded thru donations and grants.   
• AOK has also started community conversations on IRIS (integrated referral and intake system). IRIS is a web-based communication tool to help organizations connect the families they serve to the right resources in their community. This will be an exciting tool for the community. 
• The Work Readiness Team is currently evaluating the Work Readiness Certification process and developing a measurement for determining success, creating a work and communications plan for 2021, and looking at funding opportunities.