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Grant Money for Social Projects Aimed at Improving MN Health

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Jul 31, 2012 at 8:59 am

ST. PAUL, MN (KNSI) - A new effort is taking a unique approach in improving the health of people in every corner of Minnesota.

Twenty-two projects that aim to connect people socially have been awarded more than a half-million dollars in grants from the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota Foundation.

Executive Director Carolyn Link says strong relationships in communities lead to healthier communities.

"The more that we know and trust and have a sense of shared values, those relationships really matter to our health," Link said. "We know that strong connections between friends and neighbors help people to be more involved in their communities, they perform better in school and they live longer happier lives."

Among those other projects is one being spearheaded by the group Clean Up the River Environment in Montevideo and Granite Falls.

"They're bringing together newcomers to town and people who have been in town for generations. They're bringing together people in the more city areas and the more rural. They're connecting people to each other and to the river through recreation and arts and music."

Link says projects that received funding through the Connect for Health Challenge are based in Brainerd and Duluth, Faribault and Northfield, Owatonna and Moorhead and more.