December 5, 2005

CONTACT:
Helena Peterson, Director
Coastal Hancock Healthy Communities
667-5352 office
667-5396 fax
667-7211 home
healthy@downeasthealth.org

HEALTHY HANCOCK RECEIVES UNITED WAY'S FIRST COMMUNITY IMPACT AWARD FOR EXEMPLARY WORK


BANGOR, ME... Helena Peterson, director of Union River Healthy Communities /Coastal Hancock Healthy Communities Coalitions received a plaque and applause as United Way of Eastern Maine publically recognized the work of Healthy Hancock with its first ever Community Impact Award. She accepted the award on behalf of the five organizations which comprise Healthy Hancock: Union River Healthy Communities Coalition, Healthy Peninsula Project, Healthy Acadia, Healthy Island and Bucksport Bay Healthy Communities. Several members of these organizations also received applause as they stood to be recognized during Peterson's acceptance speech.

In presenting this award, Reverend Bill Imes, president of Bangor's Theological Seminary, a United Way board member and chair of their Community Impact Steering Committee, introduced Healthy Hancock as an organization that "exemplifies a collaborative, community approach." He said, "This award goes to a collaborative effort that guides the work of five nonprofits, covers an entire county geographically, impacts thousands of people and numerous organizations, and is commited to breaking down competitive walls to improve lives."

Healthy Hancock has been working for nearly six years with the five local Healthy Communmities and Healthy Maine Partnership groups and seven other organizations to improve the healthcare, wellbeing, and lifestyle choices of the people of Hancock County. Their success in working with the three local hospitals to launch smoke free campues on the same day is just one of their many collaborative successes. Healthy Hancock is a collaborative of healthy community coalitions and regional health organizations in Hancock County. It is dedicated to improving health for all through citizen leadership, coordinated planning and collaboration.

"United Way's work across our five country area requires the partnership of diverse organizations from all sectors', said Nancy Roberts, vice president of Community Impact at United Way. "Healthy Hancock's role in Hancock County is noteworthy in that they are truly collaborative and focused on chaging community conditions. We're pleased that Healthy Hancock is our first recipeint. We hope through this award program to recognize other such successes and to encouage these types of efforts across Eastern Maine."

United Way of Eastern Maine funds the most effective programs that brings people together to develop long-lasting solutions that change lives and improve our community. United Way leads collaborative community initiatives, promotes volunteerism and supports 64 health and human service programs in our partner agencies throughout Hancock, Penobscot, Piscataquis, Waldo and Washington counties. United Way also sponsors infoLine, a community and social services referral hotline at 1-800-204-2803 or 973-6815 in the Bangor area; Volunteer Solutions, an online service that matches volunteers with opportunities in their area; and, a gifts-in-kind clearinghouse. For more information about Born Learning or United Way, please call us at 941-2800 and visit our website at www.unitedwayem.org

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