Community Health Huddle Information

Health UP hosts periodic Community Health Huddles – virtual or in-person opportunities for people passionate about community health to come together and share resources, ideas, and event information related to health. These events help to meet some of Health UP’s core objectives: 1) Increase collaboration and communication across groups in the community, 2) Improve access to resources, and 3) Promote existing opportunities for healthy eating (Eat), physical activity (Move), individual and family recreation (Play), and mental health/reducing social isolation (Connect).

When is the next Community Health Huddle?
The next event is scheduled for Wednesday, December 2nd from 12-1:30pm and will be on the topic of staying active and well in the winter months. More information will be posted closer to that time.

Who should attend a Community Health Huddle? 
Anyone who is interested in health in their community and is willing to share what they learn at the event with others is welcome to attend. Attendees are not required to share during the information sharing part of the event, though we encourage everyone attending to think about any relevant resources, events, and ideas they can share with the group related to the topic.

How does a Community Health Huddle work?
Each event or “huddle” is centered around a particular topic related to health. The event will take place either online (particularly during COVID-19) or in person, and will start with a short presentation from a professional on that particular topic. The presentation will help attendees learn about the topic and hopefully inspire them to start thinking about existing resources in the community related to that topic. The rest of the meeting will then be devoted to all attendees providing information about existing resources, events, and ideas for how community members can address that particular topic. For example, if the topic is mental health, attendees could talk about any resources they know of related to mental health, such as counseling services, online tools, upcoming events/forums, resources for parents, coalitions related to mental health, etc. Each attendee will have a few minutes to share their resources with the group and can also ask questions related to particular types of resources that they are seeking.
Following the Community Health Huddle, attendees will received a list of the resources mentioned in the Huddle and a contact list for all attendees. Attendees are then asked to share those resources with anyone they know to ensure that those resources are widely shared, and to also connect with other attendees to learn more about anything mentioned they might be interested in. Ultimately we hope to reach everyone in the Forest Lake area to ensure that all residents are aware of and have access to existing resources.

How do I sign up to attend?
We will post a registration link closer to the time of the next Community Health Huddle.

How can I get more information?
Please contact Leslie Duling McCollam at leslie.dulingmccollam@ymcamn.org.