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Nov. 7, 2019

Bi-monthly call restructuring announced

Recommendations adopted starting Jan. 1

Over the past months, local SHIP and OSHII staff have met and discussed the structure of the bi-monthly calls. The goal was to determine how the calls could be restructure to be a more rewarding use of time for all involved.

The final recommendations from the advisory group will be adopted beginning Jan. 1, 2020. Thanks to the advisory group members for your honesty and diligence!

Here are the details:

• These calls are mandatory and a requirement of the grant. Local SHIP staff and OSHII staff cannot opt out of these calls.
• Local SHIP staff will submit a bi-monthly report that aligns with their work plan. OSHII will provide a simplified reporting form (coming soon).
• The Community Specialist will share the completed report with the appropriate OSHII content staff, with the expectation that content staff will follow up with the Community Specialist and local SHIP staff with any questions or comments about material in the report.
• The Community Specialist and local SHIP staff will confer via phone (without OSHII content staff). The discussion can cover any area of SHIP work. To encourage a broader discussion, topics will generally cover:
  • What are you excited about?
  • What are you learning?
  • What do you need help with?
• Following the call, the Community Specialist will set up follow-up calls with OSHII content staff for technical assistance and support that are needed. The Community Specialist will join follow-up calls.
• Potential due diligence items may be added to the report for proper grant management.

The call topics, call times/dates and call schedule will remain the same (see below). If you are unsure of your bi-monthly call date/time or you would like to change your date/time, please contact your Community Specialist.

2019 Minnesota Food Shelf Surveys

Help shape the future of hunger relief in Minnesota!

Hunger Solutions Minnesota, the Minnesota Department of Human Services, the University of Minnesota and SuperShelf are partnering to sponsor a second round of the Statewide Food Shelf Survey.

The survey will help get a better understanding of the preference and needs of food shelf clients. All food shelves in Minnesota should expect to receive a packet with surveys and instructions early this month.

Visit the 2019 Minnesota Food Shelf Surveys site to learn more.

Walkability Action Institute

Applications are now available

The National Association of Chronic Disease Directors, in partnership with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Division of Nutrition Physical Activity, presents its sixth annual Walkability Action Institute, which will take place in Georgia in April 2020.

Each year, interdisciplinary teams apply to receive travel assistance to attend the course, develop team action plans, and implement policy, systems and environmental outcomes to make their communities, regions, and states more walkable over the long term. 

Learn more at the Walkability Action Institute.

OSHII staffing update

Welcome new student worker Kazoua Vue has joined OSHII as the new communications student associate. Among her duties, she will take over the Making it Better newsletter. Vue received her undergraduate degree in Organizational Communication from Metropolitan State University. She is currently a graduate student at the University of St. Thomas studying in the Health Care Innovation program. Outside of school and work, Vue likes to travel, both domestically and internationally. She has visited four countries and intends to visit more. Welcome to the OSHII team!

This week's Gem

Bringing healthier menu options to Ottertail To help their menu stand out, Dan and Marnie Whitehead partnered with the EatWell Initiative to bring healthier food options to their business, The Williams Company Store & Deli in Ottertail, Minn. EatWell, supported and funded by PartnerSHIP 4 Health,  is led by registered dietitians and professional chefs who collaborate with local businesses to help create and provide healthier food options. PartnerSHIP 4 Health began working with The Williams Company Store in fall 2017. Their primary goal was to include more fruits and vegetables into the current menu. After assessing the store environment and available resources, new recipes were created to compliment the store and menu. The store also partnered with Buehler’s Produce, a farm in town, to bring in local produce. In May 2019, the new menu was released and the following summer months, the store saw a $12,000 increase in the deli sales. “By partnering with PartnerSHIP 4 Health, we have tapped into a whole new revenue stream that brings people together for healthy reasons. The demand for these items has also created a new job in our kitchen,” said Marnie Whitehead. The store is continuing to move forward in a healthy direction. They have plans to add more options to their grab-and-go selections, new soups for the winter season and promoting healthy choices in their food truck next summer.

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