STORIES

---

Be Healthy Berrien, a collective impact initiative anchored by United Way of Southwest Michigan, has received a $150,000 grant from the Michigan Health Endowment Fund to launch the Community Leadership Academy, a project aimed at uplifting health and wellness in Berrien County through local leadership.

Driven by Partnership, Rooted in Community In partnership with Corewell Health, this initiative empowers residents to become catalysts for change, fostering healthier, safer, and more equitable neighborhoods. Together, the organizations will create a robust curriculum, manage program operations and evaluation, and plan for long-term sustainability. After the two-year grant period, the Academy will transition to Corewell Health’s Center for Wellness in Benton Harbor for ongoing implementation and growth.

Fueling Grassroots Leadership The Academy offers a 10-week training series for residents seeking to strengthen their neighborhoods. Sessions explore community leadership, crime prevention and safety, land use and active transportation, and healthy food systems. More than education, the Academy sparks collaboration and helps build a shared vision for lasting change.

Mobilizing Collective Action Through outreach, civic engagement, and partnerships, the Academy lays the foundation for strong, interconnected community networks. These efforts continue to mobilize residents in solving problems and building a healthier, safer, and more vibrant Berrien County.

Ready to Lead Change The Academy seeks passionate, committed residents from the 49022 zip code to join us for the first cohort which begins in September. Behealthyberrien.org/CLA

Be Healthy Berrien is a true community-wide collaboration, led by a dedicated Steering Committee of partner organizations.  These partners have come together to build a shared vision to work together in building a healthier community.

YMCA of Greater Michiana is a founding member of the Be Healthy Berrien partnership, first as two separate organizations—the Benton Harbor–St. Joseph YMCA and the Niles–Buchanan YMCA—and now as one unified association. Monica Norton, Senior Healthy Living Director at the YMCA of Greater Michiana, is a new member of the Be Healthy Berrien Steering Committee, where she contributes to guiding the partnership’s vision and community impact.

In her role, Monica brings a fresh perspective and a strong commitment to program integration and advocacy, working to align Be Healthy Berrien’s goals with the YMCA’s everyday work. Her collaborative approach helps strengthen partnerships, elevate community voices, and advance shared efforts to build healthier, more connected communities across Berrien County.

Learn more about the Be Healthy Berrien Team and how we are working together to build a healthier Southwest Michigan at https://behealthyberrien.org/meet-the-team/.

Our success wouldn’t be possible without the work and commitment of our Steering Committee! These partners build the strategies that are leading to healthier communities across Southwest Michigan. Be Healthy Berrien uses a Collective Impact model – meaning that every one of our partners has committed to working together toward our Shared Vision and making changes in their organization to lead the way to healthier communities.

Since Be Healthy Berrien’s inception in 2010, the Berrien County Health Department has been an indispensable ally, offering leadership and bridging our initiatives to help those in need in our community. Health Officer Guy Miller advises the Be Healthy Berrien Steering Committee on organization’s projects, allocates health department personnel to operate and support the Benton Harbor Farmers Market, promotes grant opportunities and fosters synergies between partners and collaborators.

Learn more about the Be Healthy Berrien Team and how we are working together to build a healthier Southwest Michigan at www.behealthyberrien.org.

Through its partnership in Be Healthy Berrien, Corewell Health South is living out their vision of a community with collaborative partnerships working together to improve health outcomes and promote health equity.

Nicki is a seasoned public health professional with a focus on narrowing racial health inequities, building resilience of communities in the face of historical trauma, improving food access, and advancing the capacity of local health departments to effectively respond to upstream root causes of poor health outcomes. Nicki shared, “As a public health professional, I’ve seen firsthand how our health is a result of the influences in the places we live, work, play, and pray. It is my life’s work to be part of ensuring people have equitable access to the life conditions that lead to good health.”

Be Healthy Berrien’s success wouldn’t be possible without the support of the area’s leading health care organization.

Southwest Michigan Planning Commission (SWMPC) is transforming how community planning intersects with health.  Through their commitment to the Be Healthy Berrien partnership, SWMPC has built a connection between those who work to improve health in our community with those who plan how our community is built.  The built environment includes all of the physical parts of where we live and work (e.g., homes, buildings, streets, open spaces, and infrastructure). The built environment influences a person’s level of physical activity. For example, inaccessible or nonexistent sidewalks and bicycle or walking paths contribute to sedentary habits. These habits lead to poor health outcomes such as obesity.

John Egelhaaf, Executive Director at SWMPC has served on the Be Healthy Berrien Steering Committee for nearly 10 years, providing expertise in the relationship between the built environment and health outcomes.   John has incorporated Be Healthy Berrien’s shared vision into Southwest Michigan Planning Commission’s work by leading key projects, providing expert staff advisors, and teaming up on grant applications.

Learn more about the Be Healthy Berrien Team and how we are working together to build a healthier Southwest Michigan at https://behealthyberrien.org/meet-the-team/.

The Southwest Michigan Local Food Council is a collective of advocates that takes evidence-based actions toward the development of an equitable regional food system that values local farmers and entrepreneurs.

Our Goals  – Joy for Our Food • Abundant and Fair Economy for Our Food • Growing Infrastructure for Our Food

We need volunteers to join our Working Groups! 

The Joy for our Food Working Group invites those interested in sharing food & culture and growing a local food movement in Southwest Michigan to join our team!  Our strategies focus on creating innovative ways to share, celebrate, and promote foods grown or produced in Southwest Michigan.  

The strategies of the Abundance and Fairness of Our Food Working Group center around supporting beginning farmers and increasing the amount of locally-produced foods served in schools, hospitals and other institutional food service operations.  We are seeking members who have energy and access to resources to support beginning farmers and/or farm-to-institution initiatives. 

 The Growing Infrastructure for Our Food Working Group is about improving resources that support a local food system.   We are looking for committee members who have an interest and knowledge about food incubators, processing, aggregation, & distribution. Key strategies include assessing the viability and need for an incubator kitchen, aggregation/distribution facilities, and conducting a market analysis of local food sourcing by local restaurants, grocery stores and institutions. 

 To Join a group, contact us here