SHIP and Communities

SHIP works to make healthy living easier for everyone right where they live.

Our goals include:

  • increasing opportunities for everyone to be active through walking and bicycling,
  • increasing access to healthy food, 
  • decreasing exposure to secondhand smoke through smoke-free housing and grounds initiatives, and
  • supporting social connectedness and belonging.

Supporting Community Wellness

Active Living

  • Local Policy Options, such as Bicycle or Pedestrian Master Plans, Land Use Plans / Zoning, Complete Streets, Destination design and Placemaking, Transit Planning, Park Planning
  • Improvements to Streets / Trails such as way-finding signage, bike parking, benches, bicycle sharing programs, bike repair stations, etc.
  • Safe Routes to School
  • Safe Routes to Food
  • Walk Friendly Community Assessment and Designation
    • Being walk friendly means that a community develops and supports walking environments with an emphasis on safety, mobility, access and comfort.
  • Bicycle Friendly Community Assessment and Designation
    • Being bicycle friendly means that it is easy, safe and fun for everyone to ride a bicycle.
2022 crosswalk square

Healthy Eating

  • Farmers' Markets
    • increasing access to fresh produce by supporting farmers' market to accept EBT payment
  • Community-Based Agriculture
    • increasing access to fresh produce by supporting community gardens
  • Emergency Food Systems (food shelves & pantries)
    • supporting local food shelves in efforts to adopt SuperShelf practices
  • Healthy Food Retail
    • supporting access to fresh produce by working with convenience stores to increase healthy options
  • Menu Labeling in Restaurants, Cafeterias, and Vending
  • Local or Regional Food Policy Councils (work on local food system initiatives and policies)
2022 apple square

Tobacco-Free / Smoke-Free Air

  • Point of Sale Ordinances
    • Improving the tobacco retail environment to reduce the community's exposure to and use of tobacco products and marketing
  • Smoke-free Housing
    • Decreasing exposure to secondhand smoke in homes by increasing access to smoke-free housing options
  • Commercial tobacco-free Outdoor Community and Cultural Spaces and Events
    • Decreasing exposure at parks, beaches, recreation areas, and community events
2022 no smoking square

Belonging and Social Connection

  • Envision and design public space to encourage social connection - in parks, at farmers' markets, at events
  • Parks incorporate cultural liaisons to welcome/orient visitors
  • Farmers Markets incorporate:
    • culturally diverse vendors, activities and signs that reflect the whole community
    • social services booths to connect people to resources
    • cultural liaisons/greeters to welcome/orient visitors
2022 wellbeing square

To learn more about Statewide Health Improvement Partnership (SHIP) in Minnesota, visit the Minnesota Department of Health website. 

For more about SHIP in Brown, Nicollet, Le Sueur, and Waseca counties, follow us on Facebook or contact Kristen Friedrichs 507-934-7221.