Grant aims to improve North Siders’ health

Winning the BUILD grant pulled together three efforts that had been operating independently of each other until they had a reason to work in concert.

In 2013, about three years after Project Destiny began its work on the North Side with after-school programs and assistance to families, the Buhl Foundation decided to refocus a larger share of its annual giving to the North Side — where the foundation’s late namesake, Henry Buhl Jr., had the department store that was the source of his fortune.

That led to creation of the One Northside organization, which surveyed thousands of residents to find out what they believed they needed to improve their neighborhoods, and their lives.

The foundation then had also begun providing some funding for one of Project Destiny’s after-school programs, and pulled Rev. Gregg into the One Northside organization as chair of its early childhood initiative.

At about the same time, Karen Hacker, director of the county health department, learned about the BUILD grant. She initially worked with AGH and a different organization on the North Side, as well as groups in Homewood, to apply during the first series of grant proposals, but they were not successful.

She wanted to try again and when the second round of grants came up, she asked AGH and Buhl, which then turned to Project Destiny to work with them, and they won.

It seemed like a ready-made team.

“One Northside was already trying to improve the overall health of that community, whichis more than making sure that any one person gets their diabeteschecked on,” she said.

Along with Project Destiny “they were uniquely positioned totake advantage of this grant.”

If the project proves successful, she said, she hopes it can be replicated in other communities, teaming a foundation with a neighborhood group and a hospital, to address the complex issues that can lead to poor health.

“To me, watching how this [North Side project] unfolds will be telling,” she said. “If it works, others will want to replicate it.”