Danielle Prenevost, March of Dimes, (612) 326-9444, dprenevost@marchofdimes.com.

Money will fund community programs in Minnesota

March of Dimes, the leading non-profit organization for maternal and infant health, awarded $100,000 in grants this year to community programs in Minnesota to improve the health of babies.

In 2013 and 2014, the March of Dimes is putting special emphasis on funding innovative programs that address weight management and healthy lifestyles among pregnant and parenting women. Grant recipients in 2013 include:

• Community Cooks group program Appetite for Change for pregnant women & new moms to learn the benefit and basics of breastfeeding, introducing baby’s first foods, & cooking meals for the whole family. Appetite for Change will include teaching culinary basics, nutrition education and community mentoring to form a sold foundation from which women in the group will perceive fewer barriers to healthy eating for themselves and their children, while beginning to make behavior changes around cooking and eating.
• The Family Partnership’s Healthy Decisions program offer group sessions to learn nutrition, weight management, & stress among low-income, high-risk pregnant & postpartum mothers. The program will fill a gap for isolated women in poverty by providing opportunities for social connection and peer networking with other women.
• The Division of Indian Work Health Services Women of Traditional Birthing to provide culturally-appropriate information & activities for at-risk pregnant American Indian women & their families. Activities will include sessions that incorporate traditional cultural information with modern methodologies for behavior change, activities at the Running Wolf Fitness Center, and family and outreach events.
• West Side Community Health Services to increase access to prenatal education, risk assessment, and supportive care and thereby improve birth outcomes and reduce health disparities for West Side Community Health Services’ largely low-income, minority patient population by implementing the Centering Pregnancy program at its two largest primary care sites – La Clinica and East Side Family Clinic.
• Pillager Family Center, Family Center Home Visiting Program for weekly home visits to provide education and services for first time parents. Weekly home visits are offered to provide education and services for first time parents and children, ages prenatal through three years old, to provide and promote premature birth risk reduction, and child abuse/neglect prevention. 

The March of Dimes Minnesota Chapter community grants program is designed to invest in priority projects that further the March of Dimes mission, support national campaign objectives, and further our strategic goal of reducing disparities in birth outcomes.

For more information about these grants or other grant opportunities contact Minnesota Director of Program and Government Affairs, Martha Overby, 612-326-9443.

The March of Dimes is the leading nonprofit organization for pregnancy and baby health. With chapters nationwide and its premier event, March for Babies®, March of Dimes works to improve the health of babies by preventing birth defects, premature birth and infant mortality. For the latest resources and information, visit marchofdimes.com or nacersano.org.  Find us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.

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