February/March 2015 America’s Best Communites YAB Recruitment Walk Out On Your Job

Buff alo County Community Partners Contact Information

Visit bcchp.org/board for complete board member listing or bcchp.org/contact for complete staff listing and contact form.

General Information308-865-2284 info@bcchp.org

Denise Zwiener, Executive Director 308-865-2280 dzwiener@bcchp.org

Nikki Gausman, Board Chair308-237-2599nikki@safecenter.org

Frontier Communications and DISH Network are launching “America’s Best Communities”, a three-year contest that provides a total of $10 million in seed money and other support to assist communities as they develop growth and revitalization plans. Kearney Mayor Stan Clouse is assembling a community team to develop an application for the City of Kearney. Mayor Clouse is asking for community input to illustrate why Kearney is America’s best community and deserves the $3 million top award. Interested community members can submit testimonials online at bcchp.org/americasbest. “Kearney is America’s best, and we are excited to illustrate our story from the perspective of our community members”, said Mayor Stan Clouse. “Come share your story! Kearney has a lot to off er and will be very competitive on the national level.” Th e “America’s Best Communities” contest will help address the need for growth by identifying and investing in innovative ideas that small cities and towns can use to build and sustain their local economies. Th e winning ideas then become available as a roadmap for growth for all rural communities across the U.S. “To develop our application we are bringing members together from the Kearney Area Chamber of Commerce, City of Kearney, University of Nebraska at Kearney, and Economic Development Council of Buff alo County, United

Way, Community Action Partnership of Mid-Nebraska, and Kearney Area Community Foundation. Additional participants are welcome,” said Denise Zwiener, executive director of Buff alo County Community Partners. “Th e application requires a non-profi t organization to serve as the backbone of the community process, and we are pleased to serve in that role.” “Our planning team has met a few times to discuss our vision for this award. We need a plan that brings in

the collective input of our residents in order for Kearney to be successful in winning $3 million,” said Economic Development of Buff alo County Director Darren Robinson. Communities must submit their preliminary application by March 25. Judges will then select up to 50 qualifi ed applicants, each of which will be awarded $50,000 to develop their plans and proposals. Th ese communities will then have seven months to refi ne and submit their fi nal proposals in September, 2015. Up to 15 semifi nalists will be

selected in November, 2015, and will attend an “America’s Best Communities” summit in January, 2016, to present their proposals. Th en, eight fi nalists will be selected and will each be awarded $100,000 to use implementing their plans. Th e top three contestants– those with the most innovative, eff ective proposals – will be awarded a total of $6 million in grand prizes in October, 2017.

Kearney Vying to Be One of ‘America’s Best Communities’

Governor Pete Ricketts shared why he thought Kearney deserved the “America’s Best Communities” award at the Kearney Planning Summit.

Positive Pressure Launches ‘Parents, Take a Stand’ Message BoardPositive Pressure is growing its “Parents, Take a Stand” campaign and offering new tools and resources to parents. In addition to its media campaign and informational resources, the coalition has launched an online message board and social media page. These interactive pieces have been created to help parents ask questions, share tips and experiences, and engage in conversations with each other around substance abuse, raising children, and more. The coalition hopes these new resources will help more parents talk to their children about substance abuse, which has been shown to decrease youth drug use.

“It ’s a hard conversation to have, and many people may not know where to start,” said Positive

Pressure Coordinator Tana Nelsen. “We’re hoping that by developing more lines of communication, we can not only increase the number of parents who talk to their kids about substance abuse, but also provide them with the tools they need to make those conversations successful.” To pose your question or share your experiences, visit PositivePressure.org/tips today. And be sure to follow the

coalition on its new Facebook page at facebook.com/ParentTakeAStand.

Antelope Park Estates Hy-VeeIhle ChiropracticNebraska Department of Health & Human ServicesDr. Michael Renner & Dr. Carol RennerTom Reiber & Sue ReiberTom Tye & Michaelene TyeUniversity of Nebraska KearneyWest Pharmaceutical Services, Inc.Shayne Zwiener & Denise Zwiener

Thank You to Our Donors:If you would like to partner with us through a financial donation, you may:

Contact Denise Zwiener at 308-865-2280 or dzwiener@bcchp.org

Donate on our website, bcchp.org, by clicking the blue “Donate” button.

Walk Out On Your Job Set for May 13, Searching for SponsorsThis year marks the 25th anniversary of Walk Out On Your Job, a 1.5-mile walk over the lunch hour that is one of Kearney’s largest wellness events. In the past, up to 2,200 participants have registered to step out of the office and hit the trails. The event serves as a reminder to engage in worksite wellness and is set to be the launching point of a walking at work program created by Activate Buffalo County. “Walk Out On Your Job is a great way

to kick off an employee wellness program, or just to get businesses and employees thinking about wellness

during the workday,” said Kate Hannon, who is working to develop employee wellness initiatives with Activate Buffalo County. The event will be hosted by Activate Buffalo County this year, and the coalition is looking for sponsors to help make the 25th anniversary extra special. If you or someone you know is interested in helping sponsor the event, visit ActivateBuffaloCounty.com/walk.

Walkers at the 2014 Walk Out On Your Job took a break from work to get some exercise over the lunch hour.

Visit positivepressure.org/tips to be a part of our online support group!

The Buffalo County Youth Advisory Board (YAB) is seeking applications from students in grades 8-12th in several area communities. The board holds three seats for each Buffalo County community and currently has:

•Amherst – 1 •Elm Creek – 1•Gibbon – 1•Kearney Catholic – 2•Kearney High – 2•Pleasanton – 1•Sumner-Eddyville-Miller – 1•Shelton – 1

Students interested in applying can obtain an application at bcyab.org/apply. The application deadline is May 1, with interviews beginning in June. Students’ board terms will begin in August. Buffalo County YAB is governed by a board of 30 youth and 7 adult mentors and staff, and is supported by grant funds and local donors. YAB members tackle a range of social problems

that concern youth, from our economy and environment to safety, tobacco, alcohol, and illegal drugs. Members also provide grants for youth-initiated and youth-led community projects.

Over ten years ago, youth from across Buffalo County began developing a model to empower other youth. Today, their motto is, “Don’t do it for us without us.” YAB is a program and a philosophy that recognizes youth as valuable resources in our community and empowers them as equal community partners to bring about positive community change. For

more information on YAB, contact Youth Coordinator Mark Foradori at 308-865-2290 or bcyab@bcchp.org

Buffalo County Youth Advisory Board Looking to Fill Open Seats

YABBERs talk about issues at a 2014 meeting.

Activate Buffalo County, Positive Pressure, and the Diabetes Referral Network are sporting new chairs as they dig into their work in 2015. Focused on promoting active living and healthy eating, Activate Buffalo County is expanding its work to include employee wellness this year. Coalition member Sara Giboney is the coalition’s new chair, and she’ll be leading the charge in promoting wellness across the county. Positive Pressure, a coalition focused on preventing substance abuse, has been expanding its efforts to include controlling the post-Cruise Nite partying, providing parents with additional resources for talking to their kids, and more. Two Rivers Public Health Department’s Wellness/Environmental Coordinator Heather Easton has stepped up to become chair of the coalition. “Keeping kids and young adults safe is a personal passion of mine and I can help do that by being a part of Positive Pressure,” Heather said. “The coalition is dedicated to educating parents and young adults about the dangers of binge drinking, providing alcohol to minors, and Responsible Beverage Serving Classes, of which I am a trainer. Buffalo County is lucky to have such an engaged group of individuals that is working

hard to keep its youth and events safe for everyone.” While Positive Pressure and Activate Buffalo County have been around for several years, the Diabetes Referral Network is a new task force that has received a $32,000 contract from the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services to expand upon the development of the Central Nebraska Diabetes Referral Network for diabetes self-management and diabetes prevention programs for providers located in Buffalo County. Joining the group as chair is the Kearney Family YMCA’s Diabetes Prevention Program Coordinator Laura Aden. “I was honored when the committee asked me to be the chair for the Diabetes Referral Network,” Laura said. “This group has a tremendous opportunity to greatly impact our community. It is so important to help health seekers get the information they need when given a diagnosis of prediabetes or diabetes. “Additionally, healthcare Providers will be better informed of all the services that our area has to offer. Providing useful information is the main goal. As the YMCA’s diabetes prevention program coordinator, I understand how important early intervention can be in preventing Type 2 Diabetes. It is my hope that this new referral network can help make a big difference.”

New Chairs for Three of Community Partners’ Coalitions

PO Box 1466Kearney, NE 68848

We would like to thank CHI Health Good Samaritan for providing printing and mailing services for our newsletter.

Community Partners would like to thank CHI Health Good Samaritan and Larry Surmeier for adding our name to the signage at Richard H. Young Hospital. It looks amazing!

New Signage at Community Partners’ Office