Community Impact Initiatives

In 1999, United Way of Clallam County joined a national and international movement called Healthy Communities. The premise behind the Healthy Communities’ movement is that community problems are the end result of community situations that can be identified at their root cause, addressed and changed.

In other words, instead of always putting band-aides on problems such as poor health, some of the causes of poor health can be identified - poor nutrition, lack of exercise, - and addressed through community programs. In this example, food banks could have healthy eating cooking classes, and all community schools, employers, social service agencies and other groups could develop incentives for participating in exercise programs.

After a series of focus groups, community profiles, one-on-one interviews and community meetings, the United Way of Clallam County Board of Directors determined that we could support three such programs in Clallam County. They are: a county-wide resource and referral line for human services, increasing literacy skills for everyone, and increasing access to health care for everyone.

In 2006, Healthy Communities became Community Impact.

County-wide Resource and Referral Line for Health & Human Services:

• 2-1-1 or www.win211.org  (1-800-627-0335 if calling from a cell or internet line)
• Continue to work in collaboration with 2-1-1 to improve Clallam County information in database and enhance website presentation
• Participate in Washington Information Network 211 (WIN211) and InfoLink Advisory group, keeping local committee members informed of state-wide efforts.
• Develop mechanism for ensuring volunteer opportunities are included in the 2-1-1 database

 

Literacy:

• Clallam County Literacy Council
• Enhance county wide literacy efforts
• All children from birth to 5 years old receiving well child checkups at Peninsula Children’s Clinic and their satellite offices go home with a new, age-appropriate book through the Reach Out and Read program
• Distribute children’s books and literacy information at community events – more than 12,000 books have been distributed
• Celebrate Family Literacy Day with reading contests in schools, libraries and children’s agencies in October and family celebration at all library branches on the first Saturday in November
• Distribute information on importance of reading and literacy throughout the county through media and a website
• Recruit adult volunteers for community reading events and programs
• One-on-one tutoring for adults

 

Access to Health Care:

• Promote community awareness of crisis in access to primary health care for many residents of Clallam County
• Encourage community involvement in health related issues
• Facilitate community coalition focusing on physical, dental and mental health care issues
• Support efforts to improve Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement to physicians
• Port Angeles free clinic - Volunteers in Medicine of the Olympics - opened in July 2005