BRATTLEBORO — The Fanny Holt Ames and Edna Louise Holt Fund has awarded the Center for Health and Learning (CHL) a Major Grant award totaling $139,804 to support the work of the West River Valley Thrives! Coalition's health promotion work.
CHL is a Brattleboro-based nonprofit health education organization.
Through a 2012 Holt planning grant, a diverse group of community members and local agencies/organizations started a new coalition - West River Valley Thrives! (WRVT!). This funding allowed for a retreat to establish the name/vision/mission, a comprehensive assessment, capacity building, trainings, increased networks/collaborations, the hiring of coalition coordinator Jennifer Esposito, and newly identified priority issues.
WRVT! works to engage and inspire healthy communities with the vision: “West River Valley community members thrive and are committed to healthy choices and well-being.” The coalition's says mission is “creating opportunities for meaningful contributions to support and promote positive lifestyle choices.”
The new Holt funds will be used over a three-year period to implement initiatives that improve youth health and wellness in the West River Valley. Strategies will include addressing the factors in the community that increase the risk of substance abuse/mental health issues and promote the factors that minimize the risk of unhealthy behaviors.
Collaborators on this project include Windham County Sheriff's Department, Windham Central Supervisory Union, Leland & Gray Union Middle & High School, Grace Cottage Hospital, Vermont Department of Health-local office of Alcohol and Drug Programs, Youth Services, Inc. as well as community members and parents.
According to CHL Executive Director JoEllen Tarallo-Falk, “We are very pleased to receive notice that the Holt Foundation has chosen to support the prevention work of the West River Valley Coalition. As a long-term resident of the West River Valley, and Director of the Center for Health and Learning, I can attest to the critical need for this work. ”
Tarallo-Falk added that “CHL's Program Specialist Cindy Hayford's track record for community development in the Deerfield Valley and mentoring support for the West River Coalition, and readiness in the WRV among key community partners for these efforts have been and will be critical to success.”
Since its inception in 1999, CHL has delivered high quality trainings, educational events and professional development opportunities designed to create optimal conditions for learning and to help schools, families and students make informed decisions about their health.
For more information on CHL trainings and services, write to info@healthandlearning.org or visit http://www.healthandlearning.org.