LiveWell Douglas County and the Douglas County Community Foundation gathered to celebrate community partners working to improve health and well-being in Douglas County on November 17, 2023. LiveWell Douglas County Interim Chair, Aftan Jameson, welcomed over seventy-five guests, organizational leaders and elected officials. “We had a room full of people because we work closely with community stakeholders to improve health outcomes by addressing the social determinants of health,” said Jameson after the event. Community engagement was evident as each LiveWell Work Group honored an individual or organization with a “Culture of Health Champion” award. This year’s awardees were: 

•    Healthy Built Environment – USD 348 (Baldwin City) and Glenn Rodden, Baldwin City Administrator

•    Healthy Food for All – Emily Lysen, Lawrence Farmers’ Market Director of Development

•    Healthy Kids – Pantaleon Florez, USD 497 Experiential Learning Specialist and Farm 2 School Coordinator

•    Sexual Violence Prevention – Margo Self, Willow Domestic Violence Center Community Advocacy Program Manager 

•    Tobacco-Free Living – Lawrence Douglas County Public Health

•    WorkWell – Douglas County Human Services and Administration

The celebration also included fifteen DCCF LiveWell Community Wellness Grant awards to support projects focused on improving the health of youth through policy, systems, and environmental changes.