Community Conversations for Health Equity Planned

South Cumberland Community Fund invites the public to a series of five community conversations that will result in a health equity plan for communities along the Mountain Goat Trail Corridor. A meal and childcare will be provided. The meetings will run from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. as follows:

March 18, Gruetli Community Center

March 25, Coalmont Community Center

April 15, Palmer Community Center

April 16, Dutch Maid Bakery

April 25, Monteagle City Hall

These community conversations are part of a larger project to develop a health equity plan for the Plateau. The project is supported by a grant from the TN Department of Health, and it is being implemented by the Community Development Committee of South Cumberland Community Fund.

“A crucial part of this project is getting community input and community buy-in” said Tom Sanders, executive director of South Cumberland Community Fund. “We want to make it accessible to everyone, and that is why we are providing a meal and childcare.”

The conversations will center on what people in each community would like to see in their built environment – assets such as parks, housing, access to the trail, transportation, and potential businesses. A big part of the discussion will be about what assets the communities already have and how those can be connected to the trail.

To sign up, use the QR code in the advertisement in the paper https://www.southcumberlandcommunityfund.org/or get in touch with the Community Fund at <talk@southcumberlandcommunityfund.org>. You can also call (931) 954-9116 and leave a message.

The public is invited to all the community conversations, but the conversation will focus on the particular community in which the event is taking place.

“We know that when the trail is complete that it will be a big boon for visitors that will boost the local economy,” said Tom Sanders, executive director of the Fund. “We wanted to make sure that it brings just as big a benefit to the folks who live here in terms of opportunity for healthy living.”

After the initial planning meetings take place this spring, planners at the Civic Design Center in Nashville will develop a Health Equity Plan, which will present how Grundy citizens believe the best development can take place to take their health into account. That plan will then inform the development of a “Design Your Neighborhood” curriculum in local schools.

The “Design Your Neighborhood” phase of the project will be developed by Dr. Katy Morgan, Sewanee professor, and teachers and administrators in the schools. Through Design Your Neighborhood, a three-week civic project for 6th through 8th grade students, Grundy County’s youngest citizens will learn about health equity in the built environment, design connectivity plans for their communities, and engage in creative placemaking that reflects their communities’ identity. In April of 2025, students will host a Community Design Exhibition to share their art, design ideas, and priorities for community connectivity. At the exhibition, youth will engage community stakeholders, local elected officials, and other leaders in an effort to elevate youth voice in long-term community planning. The grant will then conclude with a revised Health Equity Plan that includes youth priorities for healthy development.

Anyone wishing to be part of this project should contact the Fund at <talk@southcumberlandcommunityfund.org>.