We need our community more now than ever. From a global pandemic, to the aftermath of Hurricane Ida, to increasing rates of chronic disease, we must work together to address some of the issues that have been troubling our community like obesity and tobacco use. By empowering communities through policy, system, and environmental change (PSE), we can continue to address these issues head on through some exciting grant opportunities!
Here are the two grant opportunities that are available to community members-
- Built Environment: We will be awarding grantees $1,000 to $3,000 for obesity-related projects increasing community access to healthier, built-environments. Some examples of previously funded projects include:
- The Southwest Louisiana Center for Health Services added benches to the First Avenue Walking Trail and converted an abandoned railroad track into a path that connects to key points in the community and encourages walking and biking.
- The City of Lake Charles utilized LHCC funds to add bottle filling stations along Lake Charles’ Lakefront Promenade.
- Smoke Free Environment: Grants ranging from $1000 to $3000 will also be available for projects that aim to increase smoke-free environments through projects focusing on smoke free municipalities, increasing social capital for smoke free environments, or reduced smoking in youth and/or adults. All projects must incorporate either a policy, system, or environmental change component. Examples of previously funded projects include:
- Family Development Enterprises used funds to create a digital campaign that connected people to dental health providers that offered tobacco cessation services. Family Development Enterprises also spread tobacco and vape-free messaging with t-shirts and push cards.
Applicants may apply for both grants but are required to submit two separate applications if they choose to do so. LHCC is looking for innovative projects that will have a positive and sustainable impact on public health and will also address health inequities. For examples of PSE projects, please check out What is Policy, Systems, and Environmental (PSE) Change?. For a look at examples of previous projects, please visit the LHCC website at https://healthylouisiana.org/grants.
Change will not come if we wait for some other person, or if we wait for some other time. We are the ones we’ve been waiting for. We are the change that we seek. - Barack Obama