Allies in Caring, Inc. Receives $50,000 Grant to Bring Local Partners Together in Hammonton NJ

Connecting the Dots for Better Health will stress collaboration and use of data

Hammonton, NJ (November 12, 2020) – Allies in Caring, Inc. is among 10 communities selected to take part in a new initiative from New Jersey Health Initiatives (NJHI) to address challenges to health and health equity through cross-sector collaboration and making better use of data resources.

The NJHI: Small Communities Forging Hyperlocal Data Collaboratives initiative is designed to improve equity in these South Jersey communities with populations of fewer than 50,000 residents, by focusing on resources to which these communities are less likely to have access when making decisions that can improve the health of residents.

“Equity, access and representation matter,” said Bob Atkins, Ph.D., RN, FAAN, director of NJHI. “Through a data dashboard developed by City Health Dashboard and other data tools, we’re able to provide these communities with a means of accessing and sharing the data they need to make decisions that will improve the health and well-being of everyone in the community.”

Allies in Caring, Inc. has received a grant of $50,000 over the next two years to identify gaps and challenges – such as education and employment, food access, obesity and children in poverty – in Hammonton NJ and work to close those gaps by collaborating across sectors such as: education, arts, public safety, libraries, public health, faith-based organizations, behavioral health and health care, elected officials and municipal agencies. Partnering alongside Allies in Caring, Inc. in this work are Hammonton School District, Town of Hammonton, Atlantic County Division of Public Health,Pinelands Preservation Alliance, Hammonton Mainstreet, Comite de Apoyo a los Trabajadores Agricolas (CATA), Hammonton Chamber of Commerce, and Southern Jersey Family Medical Centers.

“The Hammonton Health Coalition's stakeholders will continue to build a culture of inclusion, working along with our bi-lingual connectors to address obesity in our community by sharing data and resources to improve access to healthy food, recreation, and housing. We want to ensure that all community members have the same access to resources and opportunities to improve their health and well-being,” said Ivette Guillermo-McGahee, Allies in Caring, Inc. Executive Director and Project Lead Representative.

Throughout the grant period, Allies in Caring, Inc. and its coalition partners will receive tools that include a customized local data dashboard from City Health Dashboard -- a leading national health data resource that reports on 37 key measures and drivers of health, access to easily understandable geographic data with mapping and analytic tools, examples of local data that can illustrate the factors that make up a healthy community, processes to identify local gaps and challenges, and opportunities to develop common goals for community health improvement. Allies in Caring, Inc. and its community partners will also receive communications support to promote and share their successes, challenges and lessons learned.

To learn more about the NJHI: Small Communities Forging Hyperlocal Data Collaboratives and see periodic updates about each coalition’s progress, visit njhi.org.

About Allies in Caring, Inc.

Allies in Caring is a multicultural nonprofit organization located in South Jersey dedicated to helping underserved communities with emotional and behavioral problems move toward recovery, health, and greater independence. They specialize in supporting immigrants and individuals with disabilities. Its staff speaks English, Spanish and American Sign Language. For more information, visit https://www.alliesincaring.org/. Follow us on Twitter at https://twitter.com/AlliesinCaring or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/alliesincaring/ or on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/convivirhub/.

About New Jersey Health Initiatives

New Jersey Health Initiatives is a statewide grantmaking program of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Established in 1987 to honor the New Jersey philanthropic legacy of RWJF's founder, Robert Wood Johnson II, NJHI supports innovations and drives conversations to build healthier communities through grantmaking across the Foundation's home state of New Jersey. To meet the many health needs of our state's diverse populations, regions and communities, the NJHI national program encourages collaboration across sectors to foster deep relationships committed to long-term change affording all New Jerseyans the opportunity to live the healthiest life possible. Learn more about NJHI at njhi.org, and follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/NJHI_ or on Facebook at facebook.com/newjerseyhealthinitiatives.

About the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation

For more than 45 years the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation has worked to improve health and health care. We are working alongside others to build a national Culture of Health that provides everyone in America a fair and just opportunity for health and well-being. RWJF has invested more than $1.2 billion in New Jersey since 1972. For more information, visit www.rwjf.org. Follow the Foundation on Twitter at www.rwjf.org/twitter or on Facebook at www.rwjf.org/facebook.

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