Nieschburg Details Goals of Big Timbers Community Alliance for Commissioners

Emily Nieschburg, Executive Director of Big Timbers Community Alliance, told the Prowers County Commissioners that based on several community surveys and statewide health reports, the Alliance wants to focus on four specific goals for health improvement for local residents.

“We found there are common themes of interest in our communities,” she explained during an update on Alliance activities during her January 16^th meeting with the commissioners.  “We want people to have access to affordable physical activities, increase accessibility to healthier foods, to help people be able to invest in economic development and opportunities by making the county a place where people want to live and stay and we’ve found that people want to connect with others; they’re hungry for relationships, a chance to get to know their neighbors,” she explained.

Nieschburg said the Alliance evolved into a permanent organization since 2009, developing from various initiatives and organizations into a lasting organization that will serve the community. She added that local and state studies show that a lot of progress still needs to be made in fighting adult and childhood obesity where four in ten children on average are either overweight or obese.  Nieschburg said a local study showed that one student out of every two falling into these categories and one in five community members struggles with diabetes and Prowers County is the second highest in Colorado.

These results can impact future economic growth on the region she stated, explaining that potential businesses will look at overall figures before locating in a region and our obesity and other health concerns will throw weight on their decisions to locate here or somewhere else.

Nieschburg told the commissioners the Alliance has partnered with over 20 local and state agencies to meet their goals to bring about a healthier change in the community. Two focus groups are One Step Up which enlists the aid of local students and the other is geared to adults through the community leadership programs.  She added, “Last year we had over 5,000 interactions with community members connected to various programs, from walking tours of the community to listening tours outlining our areas of need.”  She added that these programs involve all the communities in the country from school programs to health clinics.

By Russ Baldwin