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Rural Health Information Hub
Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Project Examples: Community and faith-based initiatives

Promising Examples

Updated/reviewed September 2024

  • Need: To increase healthy eating and physical activity levels in Fairfield County, South Carolina.
  • Intervention: Community health advisors trained church committees and delivered telephone-based technical assistance to improve opportunities, guidelines, messages, and pastor support for physical activity and healthy eating.
  • Results: In a 2018 study, churchgoers reported seeing more opportunities for physical activity as well as more messages and pastor support for physical activity and healthy eating. Intervention churches also had fewer inactive churchgoers, compared to control churches.

Updated/reviewed March 2023

  • Need: To improve access to healthy food and physical activity in rural Alabama.
  • Intervention: Researchers hold focus groups with community members to identify issues of the most concern and then help them implement appropriate interventions like installing playground equipment.
  • Results: From 2014 to 2018, 14 coalitions implemented 101 interventions in 16 communities.

Updated/reviewed December 2022

  • Need: To coordinate formal and informal community-based caregivers for optimal patient experience.
  • Intervention: The Maryland Faith Health Network unites places of worship and healthcare systems in Maryland. This program aims to decrease the amount of potentially avoidable hospitalizations, improve a patient's overall wellness, and cut down on the cost of medical services.
  • Results: This model is currently running in 3 hospitals that serve both rural and urban residents in central Maryland. So far, 1,300 congregants from 70 congregations representing Christian, Jewish, and Muslim faiths have enrolled in the Network.
funded by the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy

Updated/reviewed December 2019

  • Need: To educate youth about obesity and healthy lifestyle choices.
  • Intervention: An educational program about healthy living was implemented in Lincoln and Claiborne Parishes in Louisiana for youth ages 9-18.
  • Results: Youth4Health program produced greater awareness and participation in healthier lifestyles by target youth and their families, as well as church congregations.

Other Project Examples

Updated/reviewed January 2025

  • Need: To increase access to healthy foods in two rural Nevada counties.
  • Intervention: HCC and the Rural Health and Nutrition Initiative (RHNI) run food pantries, assist with community and school gardens, and have a farmers market during the summer.
  • Results: The three food pantries together serve about 3,600 people and distribute over 100,000 pounds of food each month.

Updated/reviewed January 2025

  • Need: To connect underserved and isolated older adults and family caregivers in rural Minnesota, Montana, North Dakota, and South Dakota to services and supports so they can age in place.
  • Intervention: The Rural Aging Action Network is a national collaborative of organizations that mobilize whole communities to address gaps in care for older adults and family caregivers.
  • Results: Since 2022, the collaborative has reached over 600 older adults and over 100 family caregivers living in rural communities.

Updated/reviewed December 2024

  • Need: To develop teen leaders, build self-confidence, and lower teen pregnancy rates in Marlboro County, South Carolina.
  • Intervention: Tea Time with Teens brings together community leaders, mothers, and daughters to build life skills and make healthy decisions. In addition, the program sponsors a middle school club and has an extension program for young women.
  • Results: Since 2009, the program has been educating teens on making healthy choices and adults on having meaningful conversations with teens.

Added November 2024

  • Need: To reduce barriers to employment for people in substance use recovery in Marinette County, Wisconsin.
  • Intervention: An initiative in which community members in recovery train local employers in recovery friendly workplace guidelines and provide recovery coaching to employees.
  • Results: One business in Marinette County has been fully trained, and more than 50 people in recovery have been referred to the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development's Worker Connection Program in the program's first year.

Updated/reviewed August 2024

  • Need: To educate rural community members about Alzheimer's disease and other dementias and to support older adults in need.
  • Intervention: A community group formed in Winnemucca, Nevada, to discuss topics like health, housing, social events, community improvement, education, and transportation for older adults. The group also provides outreach to older adults, caregiver support, and a variety of educational activities and events.
  • Results: The group's efforts have led to many changes for community welfare and safety as well as opportunities for education and activities.

Added August 2024

  • Need: Support for people experiencing domestic violence in Kingsville, Texas and the surrounding area.
  • Intervention: A grassroots task force leading a series of initiatives that include a court accompaniment program, trusted partner trainings for community members, and a hotel voucher program for emergency shelter.
  • Results: More than 100 people have been trained in the trusted partner program, and at least a dozen hotel vouchers have been utilized.

For examples from other sources, see: