Austin Community

Foundation
Name of Organization: Appalachian Carolinians
Street Address/P. O Box: 4386 Shattalon Drive

City: Winston Salem

State: NC

Zip: 27106

County: Forsyth
Name of contact person: Julie Harmon
Title of contact person: Health Promotion Program Coordinator
Phone number: 336-924-1746
Name of project: Fit, Faith and Flourish

Geographic area and/or target population served: Winston Salem, NC Forsyth County
residents

Project Dates: March 1, 2016 October 1, 2016

Amount requested: $2500
Signature of Authorized Agency Representative:
Julie S. Harmon
Date: February 15, 2016

1. Organizational capacity to conduct the project (Describe Appalachian Carolinians

mission, goals, programs/services, etc.)
Appalachian Carolinians has one main focus and that is to reach out to the community and
provide health education, nutrition counseling, and fitness programs through a local church that
would not only help people make lifestyle changes and improve their overall health, but provide
encouragement, love and support along the way. The guidance principle of Appalachian
Carolinians is that the community is eager to have a program readily available that would be
encouraging, uplifting and motivating all at the same time, but also provide health and wellness
professionals that are trained and knowledgeable about the true meaning of being fit in both the
heart and soul. The program is comprised of a variety of professionals with backgrounds in
medical care, health, fitness and nutrition. These individuals volunteer their time to show how
important engaging in physical activity and having a healthy lifestyle is to the community. The
main priority is to the adults and senior citizen age group; however, those individuals in teen and
adolescent years are always encouraged to participate. The church has been recognized in the
local newspaper for their outstanding work in providing nutrition counseling support and
physical fitness support to the community. Appalachian Carolinians has implemented Fit and
Fabulous senior exercise programs at the Old Town Recreation Center.

2.

Provide a description of the project including key strategies, timeline for project.

Churches have a way of providing individuals a great opportunity to join with others in
becoming more physically active together. The Fit, Faith and Flourish Program will have age
appropriate exercise stations set up for adults and seniors. The program will meet every
Saturday morning at 9:00 a.m. in the gymnasium at Old Town Baptist Church in Winston Salem,
North Carolina for a 10-week program, beginning April 2 and running through June 11. Pre- and
post-questionnaires will be developed to assess health behaviors, beliefs, and interest of
participants before and after the program. Through the Fit, Faith and Flourish Program at Old
Town Baptist Church, program members will learn ways to live a healthy lifestyle, while
incorporating church events and getting motivation and encouragement from others who are also
participating. Volunteers from the church who are trained in nutrition and health coaches from
participating fitness facilities will be measuring BMI and weight of each member each Saturday
the members attend. Each member will be assessed prior to beginning the program and again
upon completion. The health coaches will be providing nutrition counseling where members can
learn about healthier food choices, as well as planned physical activity stations/modules will be
set up such as shooting balls in basketball hoops, hula hoops, dumb bells, stretchy bands, steps,
etc. that will encourage the members to be more active, yet having fun with peers. The 10-week
program will be open to 100 participants in each session. Each week the participants will be
provided fresh fruits and vegetables to snack on and plenty of water. Once the program is
complete, 1-2 individuals will be chosen that have proved to make strides in living a healthy life
for both body and soul, to help mentor participants enrolled in the next session being provided.
These individuals will be provided with a free membership at the local YMCA for free for one
month.

3. Describe the need that the program will address Needs Statement
Forsyth County is located in NC, in the area between Boone and Greensboro. Its population
consists of approximately 35,298 people. Persons living below poverty level is 18.6%. (Census,
2010) Medium household income is $45,724, compared to the state at $46,334. Persons 65
years and over consist of 14.4% in comparison to the state at 14.7%. Obesity has been called an
epidemic in the United States, and among these are over 15 million older adults. While obesity
itself is not a chronic condition, it is a risk factor for many chronic conditions, including four of
the ten leading causes of death in the United States coronary heart disease, type II diabetes,
stroke, and several forms of cancer. Obesity not only affects the health of older adults, it also
affects their day-to-day lives. Older people who are obese report more activity limitations and
more feelings of sadness and hopelessness than those who are not obese. There is a need to offer
nutritional support and education to our aging adults and provide them with opportunities to
engage in activities that will strengthen both their bodies and their minds. There are plenty of
older adults that are not satisfied with their daily lifestyle. These people still have strong minds
and bodies and need to have love, encouragement, and support to often get them back on track to
living a healthier lifestyle that would help then engage in more physical activities and enjoy
living life. This grant would provide us with the funds to focus on the adults in our community
and provide nutrition counseling; promote optimal nutrition, health and wellness; and give these
individuals access to a community-based physical activity program and service where they can
combine becoming more fit, having more faith, and flourishing like never before.

4.

List the overall goal (s) of the program.

The goal of Appalachian Carolinians is to provide programs such as The Fit, Faith and Flourish
Program to enhance health and wellness among the senior adults within the Forsyth County, NC
residents.

5.

List the objectives. These should be measurable.

1. By March 31, 2016, Old Town Baptist Church gymnasium will be completely ready for
the program to start the next day, and exercise stations appropriately displayed.
2. April 1, 2016, volunteers and participants in place to begin The Fit, Faith and Flourish
program.
3. By May 1, 2016, assess each individuals response and attitude toward the program thus
far and ask for feedback from participants.
4. By June 1, 2016, begin distributing post-questionnaires to the participants to fill out and
start distributing pre-questionnaires to the new participants starting in the following
program.
5. By June 11, 2016, to conclude the 10-week program that has been meeting on Saturday
mornings and award participants for their outstanding performance.

6. List the strategies you will utilize to reach the program objectives- Methods
1. Organize a volunteer committee to provide services such as nutrition counseling and
health coaches to provide guidance to the program participants.
2. Pre- and post-questionnaires will be developed to assess health behaviors, beliefs, and
interest of participants before and after the program.
3. Monitor activity stations for safety to the participants.
4. Present budget/plan to both Appalachian Carolinians CEO and Old Town Baptist Church
program director.
5. Work with volunteers from local health facilities to develop a nutrition/activity plan
appropriate for the senior adult participants.
6. Put together pamphlets to assist in nutrition counseling where members can learn about
healthier food choices.
7. Put together pre- and post- questionnaires for the participants to complete.
8. Conduct a final inspection of gymnasium prior to first day of program.
9. Host a pre-program Open House to get the people in the community to learn more and
become excited about the program starting.
10. Compile summary of feedback.
7. State how, when, and by whom an evaluation will be conducted including any reports
that will be compiled and how the evaluation will be used for program improvements.
Appalachian Carolinians will be partnering with Old Town Baptist Church volunteers and health
coach volunteers from local gyms to evaluate the program by June 15, 2016. The program will
be evaluated to determine if the program objectives were met and if overall participant health
status has improved during the program. Evaluation data that will be used include:
Participant satisfaction survey.
Pre- and post-participant health questionnaires to compare changes from beginning to end
of program.
Action plan to expand The Fit, Faith and Flourish Program to other local churches that
may be interested in providing similar outreach programs within their community as well.
Confirm number of participants utilizing The Fit, Faith and Flourish Program.
In addition to completing the questionnaires and receiving volunteer feedback, the Appalachian
Carolinians administrator will receive a written evaluation of the program by October 15, 2016.
The results of these questionnaires will be evaluated and submitted to the Austin Community
Foundation.
8. Describe how your program will be continued after the funding period. Specify source
of funding and commitment of your agency Sustainability Strategies
The data collected will be used to illustrate the beneficial outcomes of seniors in the community
learning ways to live a healthier lifestyle after implementation of the program. It will be the first
of The Fit, Faith and Flourish Program, which will be expanded to other local churches in
Forsyth, NC. The program will be extended to other sites through Austin Community
Foundation funds and solicitation of funds from local health facilities and businesses in the
community. The Health Promotion Program Coordinator will be responsible for the maintenance
of The Fit, Faith and Flourish Program and implementing the program at the other sites.

Budget Sheet
Program name and number of participants expected: The Fit, Faith and Flourish Program
Project/program budget year (s): From March 1, 2016 to October 1, 2016
Total amount of request:
Item
In-Kind Salaries
Health Promotion Program
Coordinator
In-Kind materials
CD player
Tables
Cups, Plates, Water
Coolers, Snacks
Lighting, Use of Facility
Total In-Kind
contribution
Health Assessment
Questionnaires, brochures
and related materials
Jump ropes
Exercise mats
Basketballs
Hand weights
Brochures, Flyers and
Questionnaires
Total Request from Austin
Community Foundation

$2,500
Item cost/amount needed

Total amount

3 hours/week @ $25.00 for 10

weeks

$750.00

Provided by Old Town Baptist

Church
Provided by Old Town Baptist
Church
$200 as determined by Old Town
Baptist Church

$100

$300 as determined by Old Town

Baptist Church

$300.00

$300.00
$200.00

$1650.0

10 C9 Adjustable Speed Jump

Ropes @$5.29
10 Yoga Mat Extra Thick
Deluxe @12.99
15 Wilson NCAA Composite
Official Size Basketball @ $19.87
5 Marcy Neoprene Dumbbell Set
@29.99
1000 total combined

$52.90
$129.90
$298.05
$149.95
$250.00

Approximately $2500