By Lisa Kocer

Mower Refreshed Steering Committee

Mower County Community Health Services is proud to be collaborating with local partners to promote and support the activities involved in a wellness movement taking place in Mower County. What is that movement do you ask? Mower Refreshed is that movement and each citizen is part of it. Collaboration at the grassroots level is not only exciting but it is sustainable and worthwhile to us all. So many people in Mower County are doing their part to promote health and wellness in their communities.

One of the goals of Mower Refreshed is to support health and wellness initiatives in all communities in Mower County. There are some really exciting and unique things going on throughout Mower County. Mower Refreshed is here to support those efforts and get the word out. As a way of measuring that success, a community health survey has been developed and was recently sent out to a random sample of Mower County residents. We are hoping to gain insight from the community about what they feel may be strengths and needs in our communities regarding health and wellness. The survey will help to gather some valuable information and also help to set public health priorities for the next several years.

The real question I think is this; who is Mower Refreshed? The answer is simple; it is you and I, parents, students, business leaders, grandparents, community leaders, volunteers, church leaders and citizens engaged in the prospect of seeing better health outcomes for all of us. It really is an old fashioned concept. We are taking care of our own; together.

Mower Refreshed has a steering committee that acts as an advisory board for the health and wellness goal groups of: healthier choices, mental fitness, workforce wellness and community connections. If you want more information on what is happening with Mower Refreshed, I would encourage you to check out the website at www.MowerRefreshed.org and join the movement!

Lisa Kocer is the Mower County Public Health Community Health Services Administrator and co-chairwoman of the Mower Refreshed Steering Committee.