The past year we have provided county-wide support and grant funding to Fort Scott area, Bronson, and Mapleton. We have been working with The City of Bronson and SEKRPC on a CDBG grant as well. This year we will continue that work and include Uniontown to the list. Last year, we were awarded several county wide multiyear grants and ALMOST $4 MILLION in regional grants that directly benefit the citizens of Fort Scott.
Our mission drives our work: to increase access to physical activity, healthy food, promote commercial tobacco cessation, enhance quality of life and encourage economic growth.
We continue to offer hyper local workforce development (in partnership with SEK KANSASWorks) once a week until we can secure additional funding, a full-time community health worker, and business technical assistance in house daily.
We are very excited to start a new small business grant program, the last grant program we had saw over $3 million in capital injection in the community. Details will come later. We will have the resources from CML Collective https://www.cmlcollective.com/ and Create Campaign https://www.createcampaignks.com/to implement programs and offer resources for our small business community. I have also been asked to speak at the Network Kansas 4th Annual Conference in Wichita in May.
HBCAT SPECIFIC UPDATES
Community Health Needs Assessment and Business Retention and Expansion Survey (BRES)
o *This surveys and assessments are important to inform HBCAT work, use of resources, and funding mechanisms.*
o We are working on our Community Health Needs Assessment and BRES. As the County Economic Development, I implemented the same survey in 2019. We called the City to see if they would like to participate with us on this year’s survey as a way to build relationships with local businesses.
o HBCAT will create a report and collaborate with the city to present findings to the commission. This is a service HBCAT is providing free of charge.
o We used the same survey and template as we used in 2019 (provided by Craig at the Dept of Commerce!) and we will be able to compare data. For instance, we can compare these 2019 business ratings:
o HBCAT is working with the Health in All Policy Subcommittee (City of Fort Scott, HBCAT, Bronson) on the Community Health Needs Assessment.
o If you are interested, this was part of the very first country-wide comprehensive strategic plan we did in 2019:
- The newsletter and results of that survey were widely distributed and can be found here: I’d like your feedback on this file. https://acrobat.adobe.com/id/urn:aaid:sc:US:b8086521-c234-48ea-83dc-4e29e862542f.
- 2019 County Assessment: updates combined.docx
- I still have the strategic plan if you are interested in seeing it
$250-$300K Blue Cross Blue Shield Pathways to Healthy Kansas
This grant provided HBCAT $100,000 in coordination dollars for two years and up to an additional $200,000 for the community.
Where the money is going:
Coordination Pathway – HBCAT
$100,000 over two years (HBCAT providing 50% match for coordinator salary)
- Coordination and planning activities such as regular engagement with technical assistance providers, peer communities and in-person training sessions.
- Community engagement and leadership strategies.
- Evaluation reporting and data collection.
Package: Economic Stability: Social Entrepreneurship Supports
- The Healthy Bourbon County Action Team and Rural Community Partners
o Business Development
o Grant Range: $5,000-$25,000
- Match Expected: No
o Champions:
- Jody Love/Justin Miles HBCAT
- Mary Wyatt, City of Fort Scott
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- Jennifer Simhiser, LHEAT member
Package: Education Access and Quality: Farm to School
- USD 234
o Community Green Farms at the Highschool
o Grant Range: $5,000-$25,000
- Match Expected: No
o Champions:
- Destry Brown, Superintendent
- Jenny Layes, CHW
Package: Health Care Access and Quality: Health Related Social Needs
- Girard Medical Center
o Fort Scott and Uniontown Rural Health Clinic
o Grant Range: $5,000-$25,000
- Match Expected: No
o Champions:
- Ruth Duling, CEO Girard Medical Center
- Jenny Layes, CHW
Package: Neighborhood and Built Environment: Multimodal Transportation and Recreational Trails
- City of Mapleton
o Grant Range: $5,000-$25,000
- Match Expected: Yes, project costs will likely exceed funding available through this package
o Expand on Mapleton’s recreational trails
- Champions:
- Gregg Post, Friends of Mapleton
- Debbie Potter, Friends of Mapleton
- Jody Love, HBCAT
Package: Social and Community Context: Incubator Kitchen and Food Hub
- The Kitchen C+C Incubator Kitchen
o Grant Range: $5,000-$50,000
- Match Expected: Yes, funding or in-kind donation
o Provide incubator space for cottage food makers
o Champions:
- Angela Simon, Co-Owner, The Kitchen C+C
- Rachel French, Co-Owner, The Kitchen C+C
- Bailey Lyons, Co-Owner, The Kitchen C+C
OTHER GRANTS, HBCAT PROVIDING A MATCH:
- $302,166 KDHE Subaward of G2G EPA Grant
o Regional
- $165,000 Kansas Health Foundation/Kansas Food Action Network Grant
o County Wide
- $45,800 KDOC Rural Community Champion Grant
o Bronson Specially, working on CDBG grant to match
- $50,000 Youth Substance Abuse and Prevention Grant
o County Wide Schools
- There are a couple smaller grants including:
o Health in All Policy Grant (County Wide)
o Community Health Needs Assessment Grant (County Wide)
o National Center on Healthy Housing Grant (Regional)
Rural Community Partners (RCP)
“A rising tide lifts all ships.” As a region we have now applied for and have been awarded $4million in grant funds in the last year. Rural Community Partners is our regional grassroots organization that blossomed out of the regional work with the University of Kansas Medical “COPE” program. It is housed within HBCAT, with Jody Love leading to drive the work and we serve as a fiscal agent. The RCP board includes Randy Robinson, Christina Pacheco, Darrell Pulliam, and Quentin Holmes. RCP has county coalitions in 4 counties, regional mentors, and the Small Business and Entrepreneurs Council (SBEC) which is made up of small businesses across the region.
Quick update on our work to date:
WE HAVE A NEW LOGO!! CHECK OUT OUR FACEBOOK!
Civic Engagement:
o -LHEATS are meeting regularly in 4 counties, each with their own budgets.
o -Bourbon and Crawford will finish out the COPE dollars in May and hopefully we will be able to implement our new EPA grant
o -Attending many conferences and events across the state and county, bringing along residents from each county.
Workforce Development:
o -We applied for an EPA Community Change Grant and was selected for $2.9million. We collaborated with 3 different workforce development agencies, 4 counties, and University of Kansas. We hope to start work in June.
Business Development:
o -The SBEC was working diligently on a regional survey. We found out that Commerce is working on the same effort. We are excited to see this happen and see it roll out and how we can build upon it.
o -Dare to Dream event was a success
o -The Small Business Mentorship Program has had clients and mentors across the region
o -HBCAT received a BCBS Pathways Grant that will financially support our small business and entrepreneurship efforts
o -Quarterly small business highlights! You find them here: https://ruralcommunitypartners.substack.com/
Still in limbo is a $2.9million EPA grant due to uncertainty at the federal level. While our organization is not depending on the funding, our community and region can certainly benefit from it.
As the founding president and CEO, I am exceptionally proud of where we stand today—almost 10 years ago (next year!). I am forever grateful for the friendship and support of my dear friend, and then City of Fort Scott Economic Development Director, Heather Smith. Together, we co-wrote the first BCBS Pathways to Healthy Kansas Grant. While grants don’t necessarily create organizations, the Pathways grant was instrumental in helping us build the capacity to grow.
Special thanks to the HBCAT Board: Josh Jones (Chair), Kelly Perry, Kayla Boyd, Alex Barner, Lindsay Madison, Lucas Kelly and our team: Jenny Layes, Justin Miles, Aura Brillhart, Sherri Siebert, and Brett Dalton.
Our partners, funders and collaborators are ever growing and some of our current funders include: University of Kansas Medical, Kansas Department of Health and Environment, Centers for Disease Control, Environmental Protection Agency, National Center for Healthy Housing, Kansas Department of Commerce Office of Rural Prosperity, Kansas Department of Aging and Disability, Kansas Food Action Network, Kansas Health Foundation, Blue Cross and Blue Shield Pathways to Healthy Kansas, Sunflower Foundation
We will work to continue to grow our local, regional, state, and national networks. This intentional effort took much time, money, and travel but we have found the return on investment to be great. Among many accomplishments, we wanted to share a few highlights:
- We have collaborated with Wichita State on a grant and resource hub for coalitions, be sure to check out the new website: https://elevatekansas.org/coalitions/
- Jody has been nominated to the executive committee for the Governor’s Council on Wellness this year, and to serve as the Vice Chair next year
- We have had one trip to Washington DC this year and have another planned in May
Looking forward to what 2025 brings!! (HINT: A new website for one!!) Please do not hesitate to reach out.
Jody Love
Rural Community Partners, Inc.
The Healthy Bourbon County Action Team, Inc.
President and CEO
620-215-2892
104 North National
Fort Scott, KS 66701