All posts

By: Hannah Sovinski, RD, LD, CLS - Aitkin County Public Health The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) Stroke Team announced that Aitkin County Health and Human Services has been awarded funding through the Stroke Team - Based Care request for proposal process. This funding marks an important step in addressing stroke disparities and improving health outcomes in Aitkin County, a rural community where stroke remains a leading health concern. Stroke in Aitkin County: The Data

Hannah Sovinski, RD, LD, CLS Community Health Specialist with Aitkin County Public Health Story Walk Panel in Aitkin City Park Bringing books to life, Aitkin County Public Health’s Statewide Health Improvement Partnership (SHIP) program, the City of Aitkin, and the Aitkin Friends of the Library have teamed up to create a StoryWalk at Aitkin City Park. This interactive experience allows children and families to enjoy a story while being active in the fresh air, combining learn

Find Food Aitkin County Network Community Food Assessment Good food brings people together! That’s exactly what Aitkin County Public Health and the Find Food Aitkin County Network are hoping to do through a new Community Food Assessment. We are proud to be one of only two counties in Minnesota selected to receive technical assistance from the Minnesota Department of Agriculture, in partnership with the Minnesota Department of Health, to help guide this important work. This pr

By: Hannah Sovinski, RD, LD, CLS Community Health Specialist with Aitkin County Public Health The McGregor Area Food Shelf had been a cornerstone of support for families in Aitkin County, but with the shelf set to close in July, the community faced the loss of this vital resource. Hearing the call for help, a new champion stepped forward — Lynne Jacobs, with Grace Lutheran Church of Big Sandy — who led the way in transforming the food shelf into a welcoming, dignified space

Author: Hannah Colby, RD, LD, CLS Community Health Specialist with Aitkin County Public Health In an exciting step forward for local food systems work, Aitkin County’s Statewide Health Improvement Partnership (SHIP) was selected to receive technical assistance from the Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) to conduct a community food assessment across Aitkin County. This technical assistance award marks a significant milestone in Aitkin County SHIP’s ongoing efforts to st

Enhancing Accessibility and Community Health Through Trail Signage Author: Hannah Colby, RD, LD, CLS Community Health Specialist with Aitkin County Public Health Start of the Tank Trail - part of the Aitkin Recreation Trail System In Aitkin, community collaboration and shared vision have transformed a beloved local asset into an even more accessible and inviting space for residents and visitors alike. The Aitkin Park Committee, in partnership with Aitkin County Public Health

Author: Hannah Colby, RD, LD, CLS Community Health Specialist with Aitkin County Public Health In an effort to enhance community engagement and provide valuable resources, the Find Food Aitkin County website has introduced an innovative feature: the Feeding Our Community Resource Library, a virtual bookshelf equipped with interactive flip books. This new addition aims to offer residents easy access to a variety of information related to food resources, nutrition, and local pr

Author: Hannah Colby, RD, LD, CLS Community Health Specialist with Aitkin County Public Health. In Aitkin County, Minnesota, food insecurity is a pressing issue affecting many individuals and families. Public health professionals understand that food insecurity occurs when people lack consistent access to healthy and affordable food. This lack of access often leads to poor nutrition, which can cause people to make lower-quality dietary choices or, in some cases, skip meals en

Author: Hannah Colby, RD, LD, CLS Community Health Specialist with Aitkin County Public Health Aitkin County Public Health has secured a Minnesota Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) mini grant to conduct a return on investment (ROI) analysis of the Aitkin Farmers Market Hub. This initiative is a strategic step toward understanding and showcasing the hub’s long-term economic, social, and health impacts. By quantifying these benefits, the goal is to reinforce

Author: Riverwood Healthcare Center The first box distributed in January contained apples, honey, maple syrup, wild rice, dry beans, oatmeal, oat groats, eggs and ground pork. Together, boxes will be delivered each month from January through April 2025. Read More

Author: Hannah Colby, RD, LD, CLS Community Health Specialist with Aitkin County Public Health In 2022, Aitkin County CARE was thrilled to receive the Building Resilient Inclusive Communities (BRIC) Grant from the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH). This generous grant supported the growth and development of the Hill City Community Garden, a vital project that is improving food and nutrition security, promoting physical activity, and fostering social connectedness in the ru

Author: Hannah Colby, RD, LD, CLS Community Health Specialist with Aitkin County Public Health Aitkin County Public Health partnered with the McGregor School District’s Kids Club to promote healthy hydration habits through an engaging and educational initiative. To encourage water consumption during after-school programming, Aitkin County Public Health sponsored reusable water bottles for each student. Students had the opportunity to personalize their water bottles by selecti

Public health initiatives are increasingly focusing on creating supportive environments for breastfeeding mothers, and one of the...

Authors: Hannah Colby, RD, LD, CLS - Health Educator & SHIP Coordinator at Public Health Emma Arnold - Population Health Coordinator at...

Food insecurity  is a growing challenge affecting millions of Americans, and Aitkin County is no exception. With increasing economic...

Author: Allison Rian - Aitkin Farmers Market Hub Manager October is Minnesota Farm to School and Early Care Month! One of the fun activities for this month is the Minnesota Great Apple Crunch. The apple is the Minnesota state fruit, and for good reason: we grow amazing apples. On October 10, kids, educators, policy makers, farmers, and anyone who loves apples countdown to 12:00 p.m. and then take a big bite out of a crunchy apple. Registrations are collected to track the numb

By: Kat Robb Editor with the Aitkin Independent Age Newspaper The Aitkin County Committee for the Awareness and Prevention of Suicide (CAPS) held an event July 20 to promote awareness, connect people with local resources and provide education on risk factors and signs of suicide. The STAY: Walk, Run & Rally began at 8:30 a.m. with a 5K Color Run for Life, from Paulbeck’s County Market, through the Aitkin Walking Trail, through the Aitkin City Park and finally to the Aitkin Co

Editor: Brea Hamdorf, PHN Aitkin County Public Health Every year in the United States (U.S.), more than 448,000 people die from tobacco use and exposure to secondhand smoke, making it the leading cause of death in this county. Tragically, each day thousands of kids still pick up a tobacco product for the first time. The number 1 product of choice is electronic cigarettes, also known as e-cigarettes or vapes. Commercial tobacco’s harm starts at a young age. Tobacco use is star

Editor: Hannah Colby, RD, LD, CLS Aitkin County Public Health Riverwood Healthcare Center (Riverwood), with the support of the Aitkin Farmers Market Hub (AFM Hub) and Aitkin County Public Health's Statewide Health Improvement Partnership (SHIP), received a Local Food Purchasing Assistance (LFPA) grant with the Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA). The grant is supporting Riverwood to purchase local food to create Aitkin Farm Fresh boxes that are readily available to be d

Editor: Brea Hamdorf, Aitkin County Public Health Nurse Every year in the US, more than 448,000 people die from tobacco and exposure to secondhand smoke, making it the leading cause of death in the country. Tragically, each day thousands of kids still pick up a tobacco product for the very first time. The number 1 product of choice for youth is electronic cigarettes or e-cigarettes. Youth vaping is an epidemic problem. Action is needed to reduce youth access to tobacco produc