2020 Annual Report: Healthiest State Initiative

2020

ANNUAL REPORT

A LOOK BACK AT 2020: 2020 was not the year any of us expected. Life as we knew it came to a grinding halt in March.

But if this pandemic has taught us anything, it reminded us how important our health – mental, physical and emotional – truly is.

Like many other organizations across the state, the Healthiest State Initiative had to quickly pivot our resources and educational offerings to meet the needs of Iowans being impacted by the pandemic, while doing so in a safe way.

We created new 5-2-1-0 resources to support Iowans suddenly working or learning from home, transitioned our Make It OK trainings online and hosted webinars on relevant mental health topics, added 100+ new Double Up Food Bucks sites to help fight the increased food insecurity caused

by COVID-19, and altered our annual events to be virtual or encourage social-distancing.

The world may have come to a halt, but our work to support the health of Iowans did not.

We could not have done any of this without the continued support of our sponsors, partners and fellow Iowans. We are grateful for you!

LEADERSHIP: Jeff Russell Board President Delta Dental of Iowa Laura Jackson Board Vice President Wellmark, Inc. Doug Jeske Board Treasurer Meyocks Group Jami Haberl Board Secretary Healthiest State Initiative Jay Byers Greater Des Moines Partnership Elizabeth Matney – Ex-Officio Iowa Governor’s Office Jeff Pomeranz City of Cedar Rapids Dave Williams, MD UnityPoint Health Kristin Williams, PharmD Hy-Vee Inc.

We look forward to continuing our work in 2021 to become the healthiest state in the nation!

Sincerely,

Jami Haberl, MPH, MHA Executive Director

ON THE COVER: Delta Dental of Iowa employees celebrate the Healthiest State 10th Annual Walk. A kayak project at Liberty Lake near Mt. Ayr was funded by a 5-2-1-0 Healthy Choices Count! grant. A pair of Make It OK ambassadors following a training in Bettendorf.

Double Up Food Bucks pictured at the North Iowa Farmers Market in Mason City.

The Healthiest State Initiative is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization driven by the goal to make Iowa the healthiest state in the nation by improving the physical, social and emotional well-being of Iowans.

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2020 HIGHLIGHTS: OUR GOALS: OUR EVENTS

29

finalists recognized at Healthiest State Annual Awards

731

In 2020, we helped Iowans Eat Well, Move More and Feel Better.

OUR PROGRAMS: We supported Iowan s statewide through our 3 main pr ograms:

walks registered for Healthiest State Annual Walk

165

attended the 5-2-1-0 Virtual Summit

e Due to COVID-19, th ence 2020 Annual Confer 20) (planned for May 20 was canceled.

t our Learn more abou 3-4. events on Pages

Healthy Choices Count!

386K reached through 5-2-1-0 network

75K

used Double Up Food Bucks to buy fresh produce

184K

employed at a Make It OK Registered Workpla ce

See more program highlights on Pag es 5-10.

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ANNUAL AWARDS: The 2020 Healthiest State Annual Awards ceremony was held on February 6 in West Des Moines. We honored 29 finalists in the following categories: • Healthy HometownSM Powered by Wellmark Community Award • Individual Award • K-12 School Award • Out-of-School Program Award • Early Care (Small, Large) Award • Workplace (Small, Medium, Large) Award Each of the 11 winners was granted a monetary award to continue their health and wellness efforts.

5-2-1-0 SUMMIT: The 5-2-1-0 Healthy Choices Count! Virtual Summit was held on October 15, gathering 165 Iowans via Zoom to learn how to create healthier environments in schools, early care settings, out-of-school programs, health care clinics and in communities.

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ABOVE & LEFT: Large Workplace winner Drake University in Des Moines created the “Bulldog Mile,” a walking path in the shape of their mascot around campus marked with paw prints.

ANNUAL WALK: Iowans in all 99 counties helped to mark the Healthiest State 10th Annual Walk, presented by Delta Dental of Iowa, by walking for 30 minutes on October 7. A total of 731 walks were registered.

ABOVE: Students at Riverside Elementary participate in the Healthiest State 10th Annual Walk on October 7.

#TeamUp

For10

In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, walkers were encouraged to take appropriate safety precautions. Household, virtual or socially-distant walks were all encouraged.

2020 MASCOT CHALLENGE WINNERS: Storm Lake St. Mary’s School

To mark th e decade m ilestone, Iowans we re invited to “t for the 10t h Annual W eam up” alk – eithe safely in-p r erson or v irtually!

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ABOUT 5-2-1-0: 5-2-1-0 Healthy Choice s Count! is a nationally recognized and evidencebased prevention fram ework to promote healthy habi ts. The goal is to increase physical activ ity and healthy eating through policy, systems and environmental change .

5-2-1-0 NETWORK: 5-2-1-0 Healthy Choices Count! Registered Sites are part of an important network of sectors across the state working to create healthier environments where Iowans live, learn, work and play. Becoming a 5-2-1-0 Registered Site is free and easy!

Sites in 89 counties have made the commitment:

169 221

K-12 Schools

Early Care Sites

176 55

Workplaces

386,323

Iowans impacted

NOTE: Due to the challenges created for 5-2-1-0 Registered Sites by the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020 recertification process was postponed for health care, early care, K-12 school and out-of-school sites.

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Out-of-School Programs

50

Health Care Clinics

52

workplaces earned Gold-level recognition for their 5-2-1-0 in the Workplace efforts.

PICTURED: Gold-level workplace Merchants Bonding in West Des Moines has treadmill desks.

27K

posters and brochures were distributed free of charge to sites across Iowa.

PICTURED: 5-2-1-0 posters pictured at the Manning Child Care Center.

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schools received mini grants (up to $500) to fund activities and projects that align with 5-2-1-0.

PICTURED: Elementary schools in Grinnell used their 5-2-1-0 mini grant funds to conduct taste tests.

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communities received grant funding from IDPH to support 5-2-1-0 initiatives.

PICTURED: Waterloo purchased signage to raise awareness about inventive programs at the market.

Healthiest State Month Gov. Reynolds proclaimed October as Healthiest State Month. Each week was focused on a different 5-2-1-0 habit: • • • •

Week 1: 1 hour of physical activity Week 2: 5 or more fruits & veggies Week 3: 2 hours or less of screen-time Week 4: 0 sugary drinks –more water!

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ABOUT DOUBLE UP: Double Up Food Buck s is a SNAP-incentive program that match es food assistance dollars 1:1 on purcha ses of fresh fruits an d vegetables at 140+ pa rticipating farmers markets and grocery store locations.

PARTICIPATING LOCATIONS:

144 LOCATIONS

76 COUNTIES See a full list of all participating locations: DoubleUpIowa.org 7

ABOVE: Vendors are pictured at LSI Global Greens Farmers Market in Des Moines (left) and Valley Junction Farmers Market (right).

100+ NEW LOCATIONS ADDED: Double Up Food Bucks received $2 million from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act to fight food insecurity caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Double Up Food Bucks expanded to 100+ new grocery store locations – including all Iowa Fareway stores – and added new farmers market locations in 2020.

Due to this expansion, more food insecure Iowans were able to use Double Up Food Bucks to access free fruits and vegetables in 2020 than any year before!

$1,001,946

Double Up Food Bucks redeemed for fresh fruits and vegetables

75,334 Iowans

utilized Double Up Food Bucks.

That’s 25% of all SNAP participants!

$152,342

Double Up Food Bucks redeemed at farmers market locations.

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ABOUT MAKE IT OK

:

Make It OK is a comm campaign to reduce stunity by starting conversat igma and increasing underions about mental illness. standing

REGISTERED WORKPLACES:

203directly WORKPLACES impacting 184,129 EMPLOYEES

The Make It OK: Employer Toolkit launched in January 2020.

MAKE IT OK AMBASSADORS:

366 AMBASSADORS

trained in 2020 to fight stigma within communities across Iowa.

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REACHING IOWANS WITH MAKE IT OK: While the physical health impacts of COVID-19 were immediately clear, it wasn’t long before the pandemic began to take a toll on Iowans’ mental health.

2,108 Iowans were reached by a Make It OK presentation.

Make It OK quickly moved our trainings and educational opportunities to virtual platforms to reach Iowans safely amid the pandemic.

43,357 pageviews to the Make It OK website.

Make It OK reached hundreds of thousands of Iowans in 2020 through trainings, presentations, webinars, messaging and network of workplaces and ambassadors.

5,400+ Iowans viewed a Make It OK webinar or video.

27 brave Iowans shared their story in a blog or video.

400K+ impressions: Polk County digital ad campaign 750K+ impressions: dsm Magazine event sponsorship

Mental Health Awareness Month The Healthiest State Initiative developed special tools and resources to help Iowans Make It OK during the month of May: • Mental Health Awareness Month toolkit for Make It OK Ambassadors and Registered Workplaces • Weekly E-Newsletter • Mental Health Checklist • Printable posters • Make It OK T-shirt sales • Column published in Des Moines Register, Cedar Gazette and other local news publications

#Giving

Tuesda

y

Thanks to dona tions from in dividua ls, busines ses – an da $5,000 m atch fro m Busines solver – we raised $ 12,131 for Make It OK effo rts on Dece mber 1.

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2020 INVESTORS: Without the support of our Investors and In-Kind Donors, our programs and events would not be possible. Thank you!

To learn more about our events, get involved with our programs, access free resources or make a donation, visit:

IowaHealthiestState.com

Iowa Healthiest State Initiative is a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation.