The Trust has invited Burke County to participate in the our Healthy Places NC initiative. Started in 2012, Healthy Places NC works to improve health and health care in rural, financially disadvantaged North Carolina counties.
“Healthy Places NC is a community-driven initiative, and it is clear to the Trust that Burke County is ready to get to work and address some challenging issues head on,” said Abena Asante, senior program officer at the Trust who works directly with Burke County. “We are excited to partner with community members to uncover and amplify creative ideas to improve the health and well-being of county residents.”
Through the initiative, the Trust plans to invest $100 million in 10 to 15 counties over the next decade on community-driven health improvement efforts that engage unlikely partners from multiple sectors. Burke County is the fifth county working with the Trust to implement the Healthy Places NC initiative– joining Beaufort, Halifax, McDowell and Rockingham counties. The Trust is committed to working long-term with each community to make sustainable health improvements.
To launch the work in the community, the Trust is collaborating with local organizations including the Burke County Chamber of Commerce, Burke County Government, Carolinas Healthcare System Blue Ridge, Community Foundation of Burke County and Western Piedmont Community College to convene two public forums to hear from community members about what they think Burke County needs to improve health and health care.
Tuesday, October 21 from 5:30 to 7:30 pm at First Baptist Church Hildebran.
Wednesday, October 22 from 12:00 to 2:00 pm at Morganton Community House.
The forums are free and open to anyone in the community. A light meal will be served. For more information about Healthy Places NC or to RSVP to the forums contact Robin DeVane at robin@kbr.org or 336-397-5521.