Behavioral health, emotional well-being, and healthy food initiatives are among the list of unique programs being awarded at the October 20 virtual event.

October 12, 2021, Dover, DE — The 2021 Lt. Governor’s Wellness Leadership Challenge has announced seven recipients of this year’s prestigious award. The mission of the annual Lt. Governor’s Challenge is to recognize local health and wellness programs, policies, or environmental changes that help improve the quality of life of Delawareans. The winning submissions came from individuals, organizations, and institutions across Delaware who made a commitment to enacting better health and wellness for their communities, ultimately helping to elevate the well-being, productivity, and prosperity of the State of Delaware.

“The record number and quality of entries went above and beyond expectation, especially during the pandemic.” Said Delaware Lt. Governor, Dr. Bethany Hall-Long. “All applicants clearly impact families, neighborhoods, workplaces, communities, and/or schools with real physical and mental health policy or system changes. Thank you to all entrants who shared their health and wellness ideas and best practices.”

The Winners of the 2021 Lt Governor’s Challenge, listed in alphabetic order:

• Brandywine Counseling & Community Services: deployed a communication, wellness, and mindfulness program to keep employees connected and affirm the health and emotional wellbeing of the BCCS team.
• Delaware Libraries: provided telehealth support services by distributing hundreds of laptops and Wi-Fi hotspots as well as assisting with tech issues, scheduling, and directing patrons to resources to increase access to remote health and human services.
• Healthy Foods for Healthy Kids: created their school-garden program to educate students in gardening, soil composition, plant biology, and more, as well as improve eating habits in over 30 Delaware schools.
• Hispanic American Association of Delaware: worked with neighborhood-based groups to provide educational health sessions, workouts, and guidance to local resources such as cancer screenings and mental health support to at-risk minority women.
• Reach Riverside Development Corporation: deployed an employee mental well-being program that included workout sessions, recreational time, group counseling, and certified counselors being made available to employees.
• Rose Simon: hosted health seminars and food drives; distributed school supplies and vaccines by bringing doctors and other experts to vulnerable communities.
• Seaford School District Behavioral Health Team: deployed an integrated and coordinated mental/behavioral health program driven by Student Support Teams at each school.

Honorary Mention for Unique Programming related to COVID-19 awarded to:

• Freeman Arts Pavilion
• Adesis

Unique Programming designed to reach special populations:

• Breaking Barriers

The Selection Process

All Challenge nominees completed an extensive application process with a requirement to feature an initiative that met the following criteria:

• SUSTAINABILITY: The initiative should provide an ongoing opportunity for healthier living, instead of being a one-off activity.
• REACH: The initiative should seek to demonstrate improvements in the capacity to address the health needs of a community or a target population.
• OUTCOME/IMPACT: The initiative should demonstrate measured improvements in access and/or increased opportunities for improving behavioral and physical health in the state. Impartial judges from the Division of Public Health, nonprofits, community leaders, and educators collaborated on selecting the winners.

Making a Difference in Delaware

By engaging businesses, local organizations, and individuals to be change-makers for health in their communities, the Lt. Governor’s Challenge spotlights and applauds those implementing solutions to create environments that support and sustain overall good health in the state.

The group of seven award recipients will be recognized for their achievements by the Lt. Governor at a live virtual event on October 20, 2021. Participation invitations will be sent directly to each honoree for them to share with their respective teams, friends, and family. For more on the Lt. Governor’s Challenge, visit the website @ www.ltgovernorschallenge.org.