LUTHERAN QUILTERS – Members of the Quilts for Comfort Group stand between pews draped with some of the 205 quilts they made, in the Sitka Lutheran Church Tuesday. The group made the quilts for five local non-profits and one in Anchorage. The remaining quilts are sent to Lutheran World Relief which distributes them to places around the world in need, such as Ukraine, as part of Personal Care Kits. Pictured are, from left, Helen Cunningham, Kathleen Brandt,Vicki Swanson, Paulla Hardy, Kim Hunter, Linda Swanson and Sue Fleming. (Sentinel Photo by James Poulson)
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Daily Sitka Sentinel
Goals to be Gathered for Health Summit
By SHANNON HAUGLAND
Sentinel Staff Writer
The Sitka Health Summit has counted a number of successes in its first seven years, achievements that have “changed the landscape of Sitka,” organizers said.
Sitka Health Summit organizers Ellen Daly, Doug Osborne and Melissa Marconi-Wentzel. (Sentinel Photo)
Initiatives for a community recreation center, the planting of fruit trees around town, putting fish on school menus, setting up a farmers market and getting Sitka designated as a “bike-friendly” community are among projects in which the summit played a major role.
The cycle will start anew on Friday, Oct. 3, with the eighth annual Health Summit Planning Day, an eight-hour day of citizen collaboration on Sitka’s health-related needs and goals, at which two projects will be selected for $2,000 grants.
As of Tuesday, 26 people were registered to participate, and organizers are looking for about 40 more to make it the biggest planning day ever.
“We start with hundreds and hundreds of ideas and narrow it down,” said Doug Osborne, a member of the Health Summit coalition who is involved with organizing and facilitating the planning day. “You can come up with a lot of ideas.”
Health Summit Executive Director Melissa Marconi-Wentzel said some people show up at the meeting with goals in mind, while others arrive with no ideas to promote but ready to work.
“Whatever works for you,” she said. “Everyone connects differently, everyone has different brainstorming processes. We try to structure it so whatever your connection is you’ll be able to get your ideas out there.”
The day involves people putting their heads together to focus on the health needs of Sitka, but “health” covers a wide range, organizers said.
“The World Health Organization says it’s not just physical health,” Osborne said. “It’s emotional, mental and social health.”
Last year, the committees that were formed at the planning day – and received $1,500 each in funding – became “Together for a Meth-Free Sitka,” and food security.
Coalition member Patrick Williams said the Meth-Free group brought together people from all over the community, and raised awareness about the issue through discussions and promotional announcements. The first meeting of the group drew so many participants that the group had to be moved into a bigger space.
The food security initiative split into two efforts, for enhanced emergency food resources, and a community kitchen.
Work is still ongoing on those initiatives after a year, which is not surprising, coalition members said. One of the initiatives picked two years ago to Revitalize Sitka is an ongoing effort.
“Some of these things, you can’t judge just after a year,” Williams said. The community playground is just taking off now, many years after being selected as a goal.
Osborne agreed, but noted, “You can do a lot in a year. You can get the ball rolling. Downtown revitalization is ongoing, the bike-friendly (community) is ongoing.”
Coalition members said supporters of a particular initiative are welcome to come together, and show up on planning day to support their project or goal they want funding for. Each participant will get one vote on the goal for the year. Each selected initiative will receive $2,000.
Other initiatives over the years have been the Sitka Local Foods Network (community greenhouse, garden and farmers market), Walk-Friendly Community, Fish to Schools, Farmers Market, the Sitka Kitchen, “Walk-Friendly” community, Community Food Assessment, the Hames Center, Get Out Sitka, Park Prescriptions and the Choose Respect mural.
In the morning of Planning Day, participants pick two “inspiring wellness initiatives.”
“The whole morning leads up to two sheets of paper with two goals,” Osborne said.
The rest of the day is helping the new goals get off on the right foot, with a kickoff meeting to discuss what the group hopes to achieve in the coming year.
The day includes a “locally sourced” lunch. While folks are expected to put their heads together to work on the initiatives, the day is also fun, organizers said.
“It doesn’t feel like work work,” Osborne said. “It feels like it’s fun work. It’s about creativity, it’s about energy. They don’t want it to be talking and nothing happens. What people really, really want is action.”
Osborne noted that the farmers market was off the ground within 91 days of being selected as a health goal, and the Choose Respect mural was completed within a year.
Marconi-Wenzel said the grant sizes for the year are the largest in the seven-year history of the summit, with $2,000 given to each selected goal. And Marconi-Wentzel has been hired as the organization’s executive director to help support the goals.
“We’ve been focused on growing in our capacity to support the initiatives,” she said. She will provide weekly assistance and public relations support for each of the initiatives during the year. “Whatever they need to be successful,” Marconi-Wentzel said.
The Health Summit receives funding from 50 local businesses, including some major sponsors.
“We wouldn’t be able to expand without support from the community,” Marconi-Wentzel said. “We’re trying to increase support.”
Osborne said having Marconi-Wentzel aboard should make a big difference in helping the initiatives move forward.
“Volunteers are great, but you can’t do everything with volunteers,” Osborne said. “Sometimes you need someone who’s just focused on this.”
Planning Day attracts a number of people from health organizations and nonprofit organizations, but also individuals and people from the business community.
Osborne said he’s proud of what the Health Summit has inspired with the annual planning days.
“The landscape of Sitka has changed because of Planning Day,” he said.
Other members of the coalition include Clara Gray, Ellen Daly and Angela McGraw, who will be the first DJ to entertain at the Health Summit.
Those with questions or who want to register may call Marconi-Wentzel at 738-0462, or go to the website at www.sitkahealthsummitak.org.
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20 YEARS AGO
March 2004
Advertisement: Tea-Licious Tea House & Bakery 315 Lincoln Street Grand Opening! Freshly Baked Scones, Cakes & Pastries Innovative Salads, Soups & Sandwiches Harney & Sons Tea. Lunch * Afternoon Tea * Supper.
50 YEARS AGO
March 1974
Photo caption: National Republican Chairman George Bush takes a drink of water offered by Jan Craddick, Sitka delegate, during the Republican convention held here. Mrs. Craddick explained to Bush that the water was from Indian River, which means, according to local legend, that he will return.