Mar 20, 2020 | News, The HYPE Project
For the second year in a row, Eat Smart Move More South Carolina (ESMMSC) is partnering with the 7th Episcopal District of the AME Church to teach teens about The Healthy Young People Empowerment (HYPE) Project and to help guide them through a public health project that focuses on healthy eating and/or active living in their churches or communities.
This year, eight churches were selected through a competitive application and review process to receive mini-grants and form HYPE teams. Four of the HYPE teams are new grantees that will identify new projects, while four are returning teams that will build upon their existing grant work. In addition to the eight teams, the Union County Public Health Taskforce funded an additional AME church that will work alongside the HYPE YPD Teams.
“The faith community has a long history of meeting the needs of their congregations and local communities, and this is especially true for African-American churches,” said Trimease K. Carter, Manager of Youth Engagement at ESMMSC. “This means the AME church will have an even larger impact on health equity and youth development.”
This opportunity is funded through a grant that ESMMSC received from the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control’s Division of Division of Injury and Substance Abuse Prevention. Through this partnership, HYPE Teams will address healthy eating and active living while also weaving in safety and injury prevention components into their projects.
2020 New HYPE Teams
Mt Zion AME Church, Greenwood County
Mt Pisgah AME Church, Dorchester County
Bethany AME Church, Union County
Singleton Chapel AME Church, Georgetown County
Thomas Chapel AME Church, Union County
2020 Returning HYPE Teams
Brown Chapel AME Church, Richland County
Oak Grove AME Church, Clarendon County
St. Paul AME Church Shaw, Sumter County
Pine Grove AME Church, Richland County
Jan 31, 2020 | News
Eat Smart Move More South Carolina is pleased to announce the election of the new board of directors’ chairman and two new members.
New Board Chairman Anna Lewin succeeds Jen Wright, whose term as chairman ended in 2019 but continues to serve as a board member. Joining the board are two Camden residents: Representative Laurie Funderburk and Lori Phillips, MPH, of South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (SCDHEC).
“We are thrilled to have Anna serve as Board Chairman and to welcome our new board members, whose wealth of experience and expertise will help position ESMMSC for further growth and success,” said ESMMSC Executive Director Meg Stanley. “All of our board members are highly respected in their fields and have great influence on healthy eating and active living in their communities, as well as at the state level.”
Anna Lewis is the chief executive officer of the South Carolina Community Loan Fund (SCCLF), headquartered in Charleston. The SCCLF focuses on advancing equitable access to capital to build assets and benefit communities and people most in need of economic opportunity. Anna currently serves on the boards of South Carolina Coalition for the Homeless, SC Food Policy Council, SC Community Capital Alliance, and Local Emergency Food and Shelter Board.
Laurie Funderburk is a member of the SC House of Representatives since 2004 representing Kershaw County. Laurie is a businesswoman and attorney in Camden. She is co-owner of Books on Broad and is an insurance agent with Funderburk Health + Life. She has been and continues to be involved with several local and statewide organizations including SC Department of Agriculture Food Policy Council, Women in Government, Camden Zoning and Planning Commission, Kershaw County Community Medical Clinic, and United Way of Kershaw County. A founder of the Kershaw County Farmers Market, Laurie is currently the Team Leader for LiveWell Kershaw’s Community Health Improvement Plan’s Healthy Eating Active Living Action Team. She is also Chair of her church’s Health and Wellness Committee. Laurie is passionate about healthy lifestyles and the mission of Eat Smart Move More SC.
Lori Phillips, MPH, is the Director of the Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Obesity Prevention at the SCDHEC. In this role, she and her team focus on convening key stakeholders, communicating data and best practices, and consulting with partners to improve systems that create environments that promote healthy eating and active living. She has over 20 years of
experience in community-based chronic disease prevention and education at local and state levels.
The slate of board members for 2020 is listed on the Board page.
Jan 30, 2020 | News
Meg Stanley, executive director of Eat Smart Move More South Carolina, joins other leaders selected from across the Midlands and surrounding area to participate in the Riley Institute at Furman’s 13th class of Diversity Leaders Initiative (DLI).
“Discovering ways in which differences can strengthen our organizations is of utmost importance as we seek to grow and support a thriving economy and rich culture,” said Dr. Donald Gordon, executive director of the Riley Institute.
DLI class members are identified through a rigorous process including nominations from existing Riley Fellows, application, and interview. Individuals are selected to join the class based on their capacity to impact their organizations and communities.
Over the course of five months, Stanley will take part in a highly interactive curriculum consisting of case studies, scenario analyses and other experiential learning tools that maximize interaction and discussion among classmates and facilitate productive relationships.
Stanley will also work with other class members in one of five Capstone project groups formed to respond to real issues in the community.
The DLI classes are expertly facilitated by Juan Johnson, an independent consultant and former Coca-Cola vice president.
“DLI is unique among South Carolina’s leadership programs. In addition to the opportunity to develop new relationships and take part in positive action in their communities, participants gain deep knowledge of how to effectively manage and lead diverse workers, clients and constituents,” said Johnson.
DLI graduates become Riley Fellows, members of a powerful, cross-sector, statewide leadership network that includes CEOs of corporations, mayors, city and county council members, legislators, school superintendents, pastors and rabbis, non-profit heads, chamber of commerce directors, and community leaders. In addition to the Midlands, DLI classes are selected annually in the Upstate and Lowcountry.
“We now have more than 2200 Riley Fellows statewide. Each new class further extends the reach and impact of leaders willing to work together to make South Carolina a better place to live and work for all its residents,” said Gordon.
To see a full list of participants and for more information about the Diversity Leaders Initiative, visit https://riley.furman.edu/diversity.
Jan 30, 2020 | News, The HYPE Project
Youth engagement is more than just a buzzword. It’s a movement happening across the United States, and Eat Smart Move More South Carolina (ESMMSC) is in the thick of it. The Healthy Young People Empowerment (HYPE) Project, a program at ESMMSC, has been gaining attention since its inception in 2012. From its beginnings in Fairfield, Pickens, and Richland counties to nationwide trainings for the University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service and the National 4-H Club, more and more organizations are learning about the policy, system, and environmental change (PSE) process and engaging youth.
National and international attendees of the National Youth At Risk Conference will have an opportunity to learn about The HYPE Project, March 8-11 in Savannah. More specifically, attendees will hear from Youth Engagement Manager Trimease K. Carter as she presents during a breakout session on March 11 at 11:15 am. During her presentation, Engaging Youth Advocates Through The Healthy Young People Empowerment (HYPE) Project, Carter will make the case for engaging youth, especially youth of color, as agents for change. The presentation will also demonstrate how The HYPE Project model has been effective at engaging youth advocates around obesity prevention projects.
“This is a great opportunity to put The HYPE Project in front of schools and organizations that may be interested in this type of model. It can be incorporated into any school, program, or learning environment because it teaches youth the right way to advocate for issues close to their hearts,” said Carter. “While our curriculum focuses on healthy eating and active living, anyone can take this model and customize it to fit their youth engagement and youth advocate needs.”
The National Youth At Risk conference, hosted by Georgia Southern University, draws more than 1,200 national and international participants. The conference trains adults who serve youth to create safe, healthy, caring, and intellectually empowering educational environments that foster the well-being of all children and adolescents. Participants learn about current research-based educational programs and strategies, which empower young people to overcome at-risk conditions that may threaten their safety, health, emotional needs, and academic achievement.
To learn more about The HYPE Project, visit our Youth Engagement page. To learn more about the Youth At Risk Conference, visit https://academics.georgiasouthern.edu/ce/conferences/nationalyouthatrisk/.
Nov 19, 2019 | News
Over the past two years, Eat Smart Move More South Carolina has funded 28 communities across South Carolina for small-scale projects that helped catapult their healthy eating and active living (HEAL) initiatives. Now, ESMMSC is entering its fourth of five rounds of the mini-grant application process. Communities, schools, municipalities, and non-profits are encouraged to apply for funding for healthy eating and active living projects. The application deadline is January 15.
The mini-grants, up to $5,000, should be used to implement projects that support policy, system, or environmental changes. In most of the examples below, project leaders leveraged funds:
- Shady Grove Baptist Church Community Garden: Located in a food desert in Greenville County, Shady Grove Baptist Church wanted to increase the capacity of their community garden to feed more people in their community. To accomplish this goal, church leaders and garden volunteers were in need of tools to help cultivate and harvest the produce. Funds were used to purchase those tools for a community garden that was still in its early stages of growth.
- Engaging the Youth of Bamberg County: The Bamberg County Health Coalition used funds to create two HYPE teams: 1) youth from both school districts and 2) youth involved in Job Corps. Both HYPE team were trained on The HYPE Project to engage youth in health and wellness projects. Upon completion of the training, the HYPE teams identified and completed the following projects: 1) the school districts team revitalized a park in the Town of Bamberg by repairing the swings and tennis court and 2) the Job Corps team created a community garden at the Job Corps site to feed the community.
- Eat Smart Move More Newberry County Summer Wellness Challenge: The Summer Wellness Challenge, open to all elementary school students in Newberry County, promoted the use of community resources that support healthy eating and physical activity during Summer break. Funds were used to print flyers and challenge cards to help students track their summer activity, and to purchase prize incentives for those who participated. This project also included a parent survey to help identify community perceptions about access to HEAL resources.
- Destination Downtown Dillon – Keep in the Loop: The City of Dillon has been working to make it a walk-friendly community. As a result of their Active Corridors Plan, the city identified a one-mile walkable loop located in the Main Street Commercial District. The city used funds to purchase wayfinding signage to promote this unique asset of Downtown Dillon.
- Little River Park Accessibility Project: Eat Smart Move More Laurens County and the Laurens County Disabilities and Special Needs Board improved accessibility and ADA compliance in a local park. The group removed barriers such as mulch and installed rubber mats. They also installed ADA signage, table ledges, and removed other barriers to mobility.
The application for the last Let’s Go 3.0 funding opportunity is open. For more information about the Let’s Go! 3.0 initiative and to submit an application, visit www.eatsmartmovemoresc.org. If you have questions about this process or projects that are acceptable, contact Kelsey@eatsmartmovemoresc.org.
These opportunities are funded through a grant from the BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina Foundation, an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association.
Nov 19, 2019 | News
Investing in communities is key not only to economic development, but also to community health and lifestyle improvement. It is a common view that more money is the answer to addressing community health, but just how big of an investment is necessary to make a difference? ESMMSC’s Kelsey Allen will expand on this topic at the 2019 Investing in Community Summit, December 3-4, at the Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center.
During her presentation on Thursday, December 3 at 3:00 p.m., Kelsey will provide lessons learned from the Let’s Go! South Carolina project and how ESMMSC has used those lessons learned to make lasting change happen in communities across the state. In Let’s Go 3.0: How small amounts of funding can lead to lasting change, Kelsey will talk about the idea behind the Let’s Go 3.0 project – small amounts of funding and targeted technical assistance can potentially create a ripple effect of momentum and investment into a community.
Now halfway through the Let’s Go 3.0 project, the initial results are in: these small investments of up to $5,000 have shown promising signs of increasing access to healthy foods and places to be active in communities around the state. This session will share two case studies of mini grant projects that have led to policy changes in their communities. In addition, the session will end with practical tools and resources to incorporate policy and advocacy strategies into community health improvement. This session can be found in the Invest SC track.
The 2019 Investing in Community Summit will highlight the role of capital access in addressing the systemic barriers we face to building strong, equitable communities. Join SC Community Loan Fund for this two-day summit to learn about projects, resources, and policy efforts that support underinvested South Carolina communities. Connect with funders, hear from a cross-sector group of speakers who are working to make an impact across our state, and gain the knowledge and tools needed to invest in your community. Register online today!
