Delaware News

2024 Lt. Governor’s Challenge Winners Announced 

Lt. Governor Bethany Hall-Long | News | Office of the Lieutenant Governor | Date Posted: Thursday, May 23, 2024


Lt. Governor's Challenge Logo
DOVER, Del. – The 2024 Lt. Governor’s Wellness Leadership Challenge has announced this year’s award recipients. The winning submissions came from individuals, organizations, and institutions across Delaware who committed 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 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 2024 Challenge winners have gone above and beyond to improve the lives of their fellow Delawareans through innovative initiatives to support better mental, physical, and emotional health across the First State,” said Lt. Governor Bethany Hall-Long, PhD, RN. “We received a record number of entries this year, and I am incredibly proud to see so many champions working so hard to meet the needs of their communities.”  
 
The Challenge is more than just a recognition program. It allows applicants to demonstrate that they are drivers of change among families, neighborhoods, workplaces, faith-based organizations, institutions, communities, or schools. While both categories of champions exemplify the Challenge’s mission of encouraging healthy lifestyles, the Delaware Wellness Hero Award recipients have shown the highest degree and most comprehensive PSE (policy, system, or environmental) changes to address their specific public health issue. At the same time, winners of the Delaware Health Leader Award are being applauded for taking significant steps to improve the overall health of their community. This year, the Challenge will also recognize “Circle of Excellence” winners or honorable mentions. The 2024 Lt. Governor’s Challenge list of awardees includes: 
Delaware Wellness Hero Award 
  • Hope on Deck, Inc.: Dedicated to erasing the stigma surrounding addiction and mental health issues in Delaware, Hope on Deck provides resources to Delawareans struggling with substance abuse disorder and seeking recovery through counseling. Hope on Deck distributes clothing, food, blankets, bedding, Narcan, and support for families for those struggling with substance use disorder and in need.  
  • Bayhealth: The Hunger Relief Box initiative at Bayhealth addresses food insecurity by providing immediate support through food boxes upon discharge, bridging the gap to long-term resources like SNAP. Streamlined processes and community partnerships ensure timely delivery and connect patients with local resources through initiatives like Unite Delaware.  
  • Christiana Care Family Medicine Residency Program: Under the direction of Dr. James LaRosa, Christiana Care leads a comprehensive program designed to address the pressing need for behavioral health services in Delaware. The program aims to combat addiction, eliminate stigmas surrounding mental health issues, and provide low-barrier access to treatments for all Delawareans.  
Delaware Health Leader Award 
  • WB Simpson Elementary: Their Comprehensive School Health Initiative (CSHP) addresses the challenge of promoting healthy living among students, especially due to diverse needs and limited resources. CSHP integrates physical activity and health promotion into the school environment with programs like Workout Wednesday and Healthy Nutrition Box. Led by dedicated educators and supported by community resources, CSHP fosters a culture of health and wellness in the school community.  
  • City of Wilmington: The Workplace Wellness Initiative tackles widespread health challenges among its workforce, emphasizing chronic disease management and prevention. Through collaborative efforts with community stakeholders and innovative interventions like the National Diabetes Prevention Program (NDPP), the city aims to reduce the prevalence of preventable chronic conditions and foster a culture of wellness among employees. 
  • Rain Vasey: Their “Soulful Art” workshops provide a creative outlet for Delaware teens, helping them manage stress and explore themselves. With the community’s support, Rain has reached over 175 teens, fostering self-worth and offering support during difficult times. By providing a safe space for adolescents, Rain positively impacts their mental wellness. 
Circle of Excellence 
  • Delaware Division of the Arts (DDOA): The Delaware Creative Aging program seeks to promote artistic expression and social interaction among older adults in Delaware, enhancing mental and physical health through engagement in the arts. In partnership with the Division of Libraries, which oversees 33 public libraries across the state, DDOA is complementing the state’s multi-pronged strategy to support Delaware’s older adults. 
  • Mother Baby & Beyond: This program offers comprehensive support to expectant and new mothers, fostering a healthy start to the crucial early years of child development. Faced with an unmet need to address both the physical and emotional well-being of mothers and their children, the organization launched initiatives that included monthly pregnancy and post-partum pop-up clinics around the state, providing free health assessments and critical supplies at no cost. 
  • Dr. Keith Pettiford: Dr. Pettiford has worked to identify and address mental health needs within the community. Connecting with over 500 individuals to get a wide range of perspectives, he identified ways to increase access, reduce stigma, improve mental health literacy and enhance collaboration by interventions that include integrating mental health education into school curriculums and creating safe spaces for those experiencing mental health challenges. 
An important criterion for winning the Lt. Governor’s Challenge is the inclusion of data that reflects how the nominee’s program positively affected the lives of Delawareans. A review committee, including impartial judges from state government, nonprofits, and community leaders, 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 award recipients will be recognized for their achievements by the Lt. Governor on May 29. New this year, the event will also highlight a variety of organizations for their efforts with a “Community Spotlight” certificate. 
 
For more on the Lt. Governor’s Challenge, visit the website. 
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2024 Lt. Governor’s Challenge Winners Announced 

Lt. Governor Bethany Hall-Long | News | Office of the Lieutenant Governor | Date Posted: Thursday, May 23, 2024


Lt. Governor's Challenge Logo
DOVER, Del. – The 2024 Lt. Governor’s Wellness Leadership Challenge has announced this year’s award recipients. The winning submissions came from individuals, organizations, and institutions across Delaware who committed 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 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 2024 Challenge winners have gone above and beyond to improve the lives of their fellow Delawareans through innovative initiatives to support better mental, physical, and emotional health across the First State,” said Lt. Governor Bethany Hall-Long, PhD, RN. “We received a record number of entries this year, and I am incredibly proud to see so many champions working so hard to meet the needs of their communities.”  
 
The Challenge is more than just a recognition program. It allows applicants to demonstrate that they are drivers of change among families, neighborhoods, workplaces, faith-based organizations, institutions, communities, or schools. While both categories of champions exemplify the Challenge’s mission of encouraging healthy lifestyles, the Delaware Wellness Hero Award recipients have shown the highest degree and most comprehensive PSE (policy, system, or environmental) changes to address their specific public health issue. At the same time, winners of the Delaware Health Leader Award are being applauded for taking significant steps to improve the overall health of their community. This year, the Challenge will also recognize “Circle of Excellence” winners or honorable mentions. The 2024 Lt. Governor’s Challenge list of awardees includes: 
Delaware Wellness Hero Award 
  • Hope on Deck, Inc.: Dedicated to erasing the stigma surrounding addiction and mental health issues in Delaware, Hope on Deck provides resources to Delawareans struggling with substance abuse disorder and seeking recovery through counseling. Hope on Deck distributes clothing, food, blankets, bedding, Narcan, and support for families for those struggling with substance use disorder and in need.  
  • Bayhealth: The Hunger Relief Box initiative at Bayhealth addresses food insecurity by providing immediate support through food boxes upon discharge, bridging the gap to long-term resources like SNAP. Streamlined processes and community partnerships ensure timely delivery and connect patients with local resources through initiatives like Unite Delaware.  
  • Christiana Care Family Medicine Residency Program: Under the direction of Dr. James LaRosa, Christiana Care leads a comprehensive program designed to address the pressing need for behavioral health services in Delaware. The program aims to combat addiction, eliminate stigmas surrounding mental health issues, and provide low-barrier access to treatments for all Delawareans.  
Delaware Health Leader Award 
  • WB Simpson Elementary: Their Comprehensive School Health Initiative (CSHP) addresses the challenge of promoting healthy living among students, especially due to diverse needs and limited resources. CSHP integrates physical activity and health promotion into the school environment with programs like Workout Wednesday and Healthy Nutrition Box. Led by dedicated educators and supported by community resources, CSHP fosters a culture of health and wellness in the school community.  
  • City of Wilmington: The Workplace Wellness Initiative tackles widespread health challenges among its workforce, emphasizing chronic disease management and prevention. Through collaborative efforts with community stakeholders and innovative interventions like the National Diabetes Prevention Program (NDPP), the city aims to reduce the prevalence of preventable chronic conditions and foster a culture of wellness among employees. 
  • Rain Vasey: Their “Soulful Art” workshops provide a creative outlet for Delaware teens, helping them manage stress and explore themselves. With the community’s support, Rain has reached over 175 teens, fostering self-worth and offering support during difficult times. By providing a safe space for adolescents, Rain positively impacts their mental wellness. 
Circle of Excellence 
  • Delaware Division of the Arts (DDOA): The Delaware Creative Aging program seeks to promote artistic expression and social interaction among older adults in Delaware, enhancing mental and physical health through engagement in the arts. In partnership with the Division of Libraries, which oversees 33 public libraries across the state, DDOA is complementing the state’s multi-pronged strategy to support Delaware’s older adults. 
  • Mother Baby & Beyond: This program offers comprehensive support to expectant and new mothers, fostering a healthy start to the crucial early years of child development. Faced with an unmet need to address both the physical and emotional well-being of mothers and their children, the organization launched initiatives that included monthly pregnancy and post-partum pop-up clinics around the state, providing free health assessments and critical supplies at no cost. 
  • Dr. Keith Pettiford: Dr. Pettiford has worked to identify and address mental health needs within the community. Connecting with over 500 individuals to get a wide range of perspectives, he identified ways to increase access, reduce stigma, improve mental health literacy and enhance collaboration by interventions that include integrating mental health education into school curriculums and creating safe spaces for those experiencing mental health challenges. 
An important criterion for winning the Lt. Governor’s Challenge is the inclusion of data that reflects how the nominee’s program positively affected the lives of Delawareans. A review committee, including impartial judges from state government, nonprofits, and community leaders, 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 award recipients will be recognized for their achievements by the Lt. Governor on May 29. New this year, the event will also highlight a variety of organizations for their efforts with a “Community Spotlight” certificate. 
 
For more on the Lt. Governor’s Challenge, visit the website. 
image_printPrint


Graphic that represents delaware news on a mobile phone

Keep up to date by receiving a daily digest email, around noon, of current news release posts from state agencies on news.delaware.gov.

Here you can subscribe to future news updates.