Faribault Diversity Coalition receives second Blue Cross Foundation grant to promote good health among new Minnesotans

NEWS RELEASE
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Bob Kell, 333-5036

Faribault, Minn. (December 27, 2006) — The Faribault Diversity Coalition has received a $100,000 grant from the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota Foundation under the Healthy Together: Creating Community with New Americans initiative. It’s one of 11 grants awarded to promote good health among Minnesota’s growing immigrant populations — and longtime Minnesotans — by increasing their sense of connection with each other. Research shows that communities that are more cohesive are also healthier, overall.

The Faribault Diversity Coalition will use this second grant to extend its program, building on work done through an earlier grant from the Blue Cross Foundation. The Diversity Coalition works to promote cross-cultural respect and understanding through opportunities where immigrant and mainstream residents of Faribault engage in dialogue and exchange. The Coalition also works to assist immigrants in accessing needed resources and to support their full integration as participating members of the community. During the planning grant phase, the building of a school bus shelter at the Cannon River Mobile Home Park and a series of immigration forums provided opportunities for community members to engage with one another in meeting a need and looking for greater understanding. This new grant will allow expanded efforts over the next two years to create such opportunities and to invite all Faribault residents to join in building a welcoming community. Ongoing information can be found on the Coalition blog http://faribodiversity.blogspot.com.

“The funded projects serve new Minnesotans from all over the world,” said Joan Cleary, foundation vice president. “We’re proud to be able to continue our support of the important work the Faribault Diversity Coalition has been doing in the community.”

“The Blue Cross Foundation grant is a tremendous lift to our efforts,” says Bob Kell, director of the Coalition’s Welcome Center. “We believe strongly that when people open doors, either to welcome or to generously share the newness they bring, the resulting community is healthier, stronger, and richer. We look forward to what we can accomplish together in the coming years.”

The Faribault Diversity Coalition began in 1995 as a gathering of community members seeking to understand and respond positively to the growing cultural diversity of the community. Operating for a time as a committee of the Chamber of Commerce, it has since become a non-profit organization dedicated to the mission of supporting immigrant integration and community unity.

For more information on the Faribault Diversity Coalition, contact the Welcome Center, (507) 333-5036, 24 W. Division St., Faribault. For more information on the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota Foundation, visit HYPERLINK "http://www.bluecrossmn.com/foundation" www.bluecrossmn.com/foundation or call (651) 662-3950 or toll free 1-866-812-1593.

The Blue Cross Foundation’s purpose is to look beyond health care today for ideas that create healthier communities tomorrow. By addressing key social, economic and environmental factors that determine health — beyond genes, lifestyle and access to health care — the Foundation’s work extends beyond the traditional reach of the health care system to improve community health long-term and close the health gap that affects many Minnesotans. Since it was established 20 years ago, the Foundation has become the state’s largest grantmaking foundation to exclusively dedicate its assets to improving health in Minnesota, awarding $20 million since 1986.