Collaborative coalition launches effort to tackle community inequities

Community partners, stakeholders and officials gather to talk about a new coalition to help build a healthier community in Chicopee and beyond.
Reminder Publishing photo by Tyler Garnet

CHICOPEE — Advancing Chicopee Together/Adelantando Chicopee Juntos community coalition hosted a launch event on Feb. 27 to introduce their organization and its goals to bring residents, organizations and local leaders together to help improve health and advance equity in Chicopee.

The Public Health Institute of Western Massachusetts and Chicopee announced the collaborative coalition at Chicopee City Hall. After extensive community feedback and collaboration, ACT will initially focus on two priority areas: access to nutritious food and maternal/perinatal health.

According to the coalition, Chicopee has higher rates of hypertension and obesity than the state overall, contributing to higher premature mortality. Additionally, the city has higher rates of gestational diabetes and is currently experiencing a shortage of OB providers, limiting access to prenatal and postpartum care.

“We know that access to nutritious food and quality maternal and perinatal care are foundational to strong families and strong communities,” Mayor John Vieau stated. “By bringing residents, health care providers, community organizations, and local leaders to the same table, we are taking meaningful, data-driven action to address health inequities in Chicopee. I am proud to partner with the Public Health Institute of Western Massachusetts and our community stakeholders as we work together to build a healthier, more equitable future for all who call Chicopee home.”

ACT was formed as part of Addressing Health Equity in Massachusetts, a statewide initiative centered on regional and racial equity in health. AHEM currently prioritizes maternal health and the social determinants of health, using a place-based framework that allows communities to identify their own strengths and solutions.

The project is funded by a grant from Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts Foundation.

Chicopee is one of 30 AHEM communities, and the Public Health Institute of Western Massachusetts has been leading the development of ACT. The institute’s executive director, Jessica Collins, outlined what has recently happened to “work and uplift the tremendous organizations, city leaders and departments in efforts already going on in Chicopee.”

The coalition plans to improve awareness, coordination and connection, expand education, and increase awareness and access to doula services.

Collins explained, “Our goal is basically to continue to strengthen the work by bringing more and more people and entities, not just in Chicopee, but regional entities as well who are doing fantastic work. We are not a marginalized community. I think what happens is we are working so hard on what we’re doing that we become an isolated community because we don’t have time to look up and say, ‘oh we can actually work smarter and harder together.’ So that’s what we’re doing here, and we will continue to foster togetherness, capacity building and interventions to achieve what has been called out.”

The Steering Committee consists of resident advisors and representatives from Baystate Health, Breaking Oppression, the city of Chicopee, Chicopee Health Department, Chicopee City Council, Chicopee Parks and Recreation Department, Chicopee Chamber of Commerce, Elms College, Food Bank of Western Massachusetts, Holyoke Health Center, Tapestry Health and the Valley Opportunity Council.

ACT currently has two events planned. They will host a food resource fair at The Hub at Market Square, 31 Springfield St., on Wednesday, April 22, from 4-7 p.m.

They will also host a community baby shower on Saturday, May 30, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. The location is to be determined.

Breaking Oppression Director Luz Lopez said that ACT has also started a food resource page at 413cares.org for Chicopee residents to access and find local food pantries, meals, get help with enrolling in SNAP benefits and access the resources that are available.
A maternal and prenatal health page will be uploaded to the same website. “We are looking for ways on making sure that the residents of Chicopee have what they need,” Lopez stated.

There is also a series of education workshops planned to support pregnant and postpartum individuals and help them navigate the right resources they need.

To learn more about the coalition, readers can visit publichealthwm.org.