Eat Smart Move More South Carolina is pleased to announce the election of three new board members representing some pretty important areas – faith, rural communities, and law. They also add to the diverse make-up of the board, a focus area that ESMMSC has been addressing more intentionally. Joining the board are Reverend Sean Dogan, Phyllis Smart, and Phil Cristaldi.
“It’s important to have a diverse board that represents different perspectives and experiences,” says ESMMSC Executive Director Meg Stanley. “We are thrilled to have these three new board members who will have specific expertise in their respective areas. They are going to provide direction and growth and keep this organization on the right track.”
Reverend. Sean Dogan, Long Branch Baptist Church, Greenville, SC Rev. Sean Dogan has served as Senior Pastor of the Long Branch Baptist Church, since 1997. Under his visionary leadership the church has grown to over 1,000 weekly attendees. He has led them in a multimillion-dollar building project and an environmental improvement project which included a stream restoration, rock sitting area, and the planting of over 60 trees. Pastor Dogan has initiated many programs that have positively affected the local community, including a monthly feeding program, farmers market, mobile market, scholarships, and business grant opportunities. In addition to his good work in the church and community, Pastor Dogan serves on numerous boards. He is a 1998 graduate of Clemson University, attended Shaw School of Divinity, in Raleigh, NC, and he’s a graduate of The Riley Institute Diversity Leadership Initiative (Spring 2011 Class). Pastor Dogan currently serves as Interim CEO / President of the Urban League of the Upstate. He is married to the former Satreva Young and to this union they have a beautiful daughter, Ramiah Dogan.
Phyllis Smart, The Smart Box, Allendale, SC A native of St. Helena Island, SC, Phyllis Smart is the CEO/Founder of a 501c3 non-profit organization called The Smart Box where her mission is to enhance the quality of life for all individuals. The Smart Box, an Emergency Food pantry in Allendale County, serves over 400 families weekly. Phyllis has been an educator for over 13 years with a Master’s in Education. Phyllis is a licensed evangelist and author of a New York Times nominated book The Journey of a Helpmeet that has ministered to women all over the world. Her new book Rejection: The Silent Killer has taken the industry by storm. Sharing her battles with rejection is unlocking many different types of cages. Her motto is “With Soul Empowerment Comes Self Improvement.” She teaches individuals to love themselves without labels. Phyllis is a wife, mother, and Nana.
Phil Cristaldi, Ross & Cristaldi, LLC, Mt Pleasant, SC Phil Cristaldi is a partner at Ross & Cristaldi, LLC where he concentrates his practice on insurance defense, construction defect, products liability, premises liability, personal injury and general civil litigation. Outside of the litigation realm, Phil offers non-litigation support for his clients providing advice related to industry issues and payment disputes, as well analyzing and drafting contracts in an effort to prevent disputes and provide protection in the future. He a magna cum laude graduate of the University of North Carolina Wilmington and a summa cum laude graduate of the Charleston School of Law where he graduated at the top of his class. Outside of the office, he is an avid outdoor enthusiast who enjoys running, cycling, surfing, snowboarding, and spending time with his wife, Kelly, and dog, Shaka.
The slate of board members for 2021 is listed on the Board page.
The COVID-19 pandemic changed the way we operate and collaborate with partners, communities, and youth. We transitioned into a remote team, pivoted some of our work to focus on the increase in food insecurity, helped our grantees navigate a new way of project implementation, and created a virtual model for youth engagement. Learn about our impact on communities across South Carolina…
Healthy eating and active living opportunities are essential to the quality of life for every single individual regardless of their socioeconomic status. This is true for those who experience substance use disorders too. In fact, healthy eating and active living are life skills that people in recovery need to lead a quality, sober life. That’s one reason why Eat Smart Move More South Carolina (ESMMSC) decided to fund Keystone Substance Abuse Services’ Let’sGo! 3.0 mini-grant proposal.
“The Keystone project is an example of ESMMSC trying to address equity and access,” said Kelsey Sanders, MPH, CHES, community initiatives manager at ESMMSC. “When I think of equity, I think of giving people what they need to be successful. Patients at Keystone needed a safe and clean walking path to achieve success in managing not only their recovery, but also their physical and mental health.”
Making the Case for Keystone When ESMMSC reviewers scored the Keystone mini-grant application high, staff took a serious look at the application and weighed the benefits of choosing to fund an organization that doesn’t reach a large number of people compared to a proposal that does. Historically, ESMMSC funds organizations that can have a large impact on community health, but the Keystone application gave staff a new perspective.
Keystone is York County’s largest provider of treatment and prevention services. It’s also one of four public
AFTER: A clean, safe place to exercise
withdrawal management programs in the state, so they often serve patients from across the state of South Carolina, not just York County residents. Also, many of their patients are either uninsured or underinsured, meaning patients largely represent a low socioeconomic class – a group at high risk for physical and mental health problems.
“If patients can learn physical activity habits during their stay, these individuals can have a sustainable option for reducing depression and anxiety, increasing self-efficacy, decreasing stress, increasing coping skills, and ultimately providing individuals with a positive, sober alternative activity,” said Danielle Russell, executive director of Keystone Substance Abuse Services. “Not only will physical activity help in their recovery, but it can teach individuals lifelong skills that will reduce the risk of chronic diseases and improve optimal health and wellness.”
Despite this clear link between physical and mental health, organizations that address mental health and physical health largely remain siloed from each other. This project, while a nontraditional partnership for ESMMSC, represented an opportunity to bridge the connection between mental and physical health. ESMMSC staff saw the Keystone project as a direct link to social determinants of health, and diversity, equity, and inclusion – ESMMSC’s core values. By funding the Keystone project, ESMMSC staff realized the lasting impact they could have on people with substance use disorders and those close to them.
From Mud Pit to Clean Path
Keystone had a partially paved walking trail loop (.25 mile) on their campus, but it was rundown and oftentimes turned into a mud pit when it rained. Even under the unsafe conditions, counselors would try to get patients outside as often as possible for some extra stimulation and therapy. Keystone staff wanted more for their patients and themselves. They wanted to complete the loop so that their patients could thrive, and their staff could also focus on their personal health.
A Keystone inpatient counselor said, “One of the biggest complaints I get from some of the patients is that they are feeling lethargic once they start to feel better. Keeping them indoors with minimal exercise seems to exaggerate those symptoms. Many have specifically said that just getting their body moving and being outdoors helps them feel better overall (physically and mentally). We try when it’s nice out just to get them to take a walk, and often those are some of the best groups we have. It seems to support the theory that physical activity and sunshine provide essential therapeutic components.”
According to their application, physical activity is a part of an individual’s life that is often lost during their addiction. Physical activity can help individuals find their path to recovery. Evidence shows that physical activity can help provide structure to their days, generate positivity, distract them from cravings, and heal their body and brain.
A New Path to Coping
Keystone completed their walking trail loop, and now, patients and staff have a safe place to exercise, to meet, and to cope. All of the staff interviewed indicated they take their patients outside to walk the loop, and they’re seeing positive changes.
An Inpatient Clinical Counselor said, “I take patients out there as often as possible. Walking, having group time and individual time with patients helps decrease stress and anxiety and patients open up more.”
An Inpatient Technician and a Substance Abuse Specialist said, “I will take patients out on the trail in the afternoons and after dinner, if the weather is good. They are so glad to get outside. There are times when they compete and walk very fast, skip or hop to exercise, and have fun.”
Employees Benefit Too
ESMMSC knows the importance of employee health and wellness – that includes mental health too. Worksite wellness programs and policies lead to improved health of employees, decreased health care costs, and improved productivity. So, when the Keystone application mentioned worksite wellness, it was one more very good reason to fund their proposed project.
Before the project was completed, employees noted having to jump mud puddles and other obstacles on the loop or just choosing to walk the parking lot near a busy street. Now, they find the loop to be pleasing and beneficial.
“I use the path for afternoon walks and utilize the entire track. If our power goes out, or I find time I use it at other times as well,” said the Outpatient Programs Administrator. “Walking was the recommendation of my heart doctor. It helps clear my mind. I step away from the computer and it helps me stay focused on the moment.”
“I go for a walk every afternoon around 2:00. It gets me ready for the final two hours of the workday to get energized for the afternoon. One to two laps revitalize me. I wish I had time to walk more,” said an Outpatient Clinical Counselor.
The .25-mile walking trail loop can be used by people of all ability levels, and it gives patients and staff an opportunity to walk, jog, or just enjoy fresh air. What’s next for the Keystone walking trail loop? Build fitness stations along the trail to increase strength and conditioning, and possibly lighting for late evening walks.
If you’ve ever used Options for Action on the ESMMSC website, you know the value of the resources listed on the page, but you also know the settings, or topics, were limited. Today, ESMMSC is launching a newly redesigned Options for Action featuring more strategies, more settings, and more resources!
Options for Action is a clearinghouse of state and national resources that anyone can use to benefit coalition work. It was created in 2010 with the help of SC DHEC to provide one place for public health coalitions and partners to find strategies, best practices, and promising practices for implementing policy, systems, and environmental change related to healthy eating and active living.
The keyword search function. You can easily find resources based on focus area and strategies by simply typing in a keyword.
The filters. Have you ever shopped online and used filters to find exactly what you were looking for? You can do that with the new Options for Action.
Check out the new Options for Action today, but keep in mind that you might run into a kink or two. If that happens, please let us know so that we can correct the problem. Also, if you know of a resource that would be good for Options for Action, send us an email. We’ll check it out and add it if it’s a good fit!
Mt. Zion AME Church (Greenwood County) youth used some of their funds to purchase PPE.
How do you continue a grant project during a health pandemic while social distancing? That’s a question many communities are answering, including Healthy Young People Empowerment (HYPE) Project teams in the 7th Episcopal District of the African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church.
Through funds provided by SCDHEC, 82 youth from nine AME Young Peoples Division (YPD) programs in seven counties successfully addressed challenges related to COVID-19 restrictions while continuing to work on their healthy eating, active living, safety, and injury prevention projects in their respective churches. The AME churches are located in Dorchester, Florence, Georgetown, Greenwood, Richland, Sumter, and Union counties.
First, many youth teams had to figure out how to connect virtually to discuss their initial project plans and any changes needed based on safety guidelines for COVID-19. Then, they had to figure out how to implement their projects with closed churches and community facilities. On top of that, some teams even dealt with the direct impacts of COVID-19 within their congregations.
“COVID-19 has presented social obstacles for all of us, especially the elderly,” said Trimease K. Carter, MSW, youth engagement manager at Eat Smart Move More South Carolina (ESMMSC). “The YPD projects allowed church members to safely connect and be active even when the church building was not open.”
Carter added, “Churches got creative with their gardens allowing people in the same households to sign up for shifts to work in the gardens together. One team even created Rec 2 Go Kits for families to remain active while at home.”
Youth were able to support efforts to curve the spread of COVID-19 in their churches and communities. Most were able to provide personal protective equipment (e.g., masks, hand sanitizer, disinfectant spray, and wipes) and share COVID-19 prevention tips.
BEFORE: Arthurtown Community Basketball Court
In addition to addressing safety and prevention, youth teams also worked on healthy eating and active living projects. These projects included community/church gardens, church health bulletins, safety signage and handrails, community/church walking clubs, and church-based healthy eating and active living policies. Collectively, the HYPE YPD Teams were able to pass 14 policies at their churches. The youth also took on many roles in implementing the projects. They wrote policies, planted and maintained gardens, established physical activity equipment use guidelines, and delivered presentations to their pastors, congregations, and communities.
AFTER: Arthurtown Community Basketball Court
Youth at Browns Chapel AME Church in Richland County focused on revitalizing a community basketball court to increase access to a safe place to play. According to their Adult Advisor April Alston, “The Arthurtown basketball court is looking a lot more refreshed these days. The once weed-covered court now has a flash of sprawling color.”
Leroy Belton, president of Arthurtown Community Association, said, “The revitalization of the court will make a dramatic, positive impact on our community. Neighborhood kids and adults are excited to play on the court and the HYPE team is proud to play a small part to make a big impact on the community.”
The Bethany AME Church Garden (Union County)
In Union County, youth at Bethany AME Church focused on a garden to provide church members with fresh produce.
“Without this grant, this garden would have been impossible. A lot of churches struggle to have extra funds to do projects such as a garden, so it’s just wonderful to start something that we can continue for a long time,” said Adult Advisor Rena Goode. “We’ve always wanted to have a garden at the church, so this was just a great opportunity.”
HYPE team members show off produce from their garden.
Goode added, “What really made me smile was when one of our youth said when he grows up, he wants to have a garden. I told him ‘You don’t have to wait until you’re adult, you can have a garden right now.’ It’s really good to engage our youth in community projects. It encourages them to think out of the box, get hands-on experiences, but most of all have a positive impact in the community. I hope other AME churches will join in this great opportunity next year.”
This grant round marks the second year of partnering with the 7th Episcopal District AME Church. The next round of grants will open in early 2021.
