About Us

We are an umbrella non-profit organization for the La Crescent area.

The La Crescent Area Healthy Community Partnership was organized to address areas impacting the health, wellness and livability of the greater La Crescent area. In 2002, we received 501c3 status as a tax-exempt organization. La Crescent HCP is a United Way Partner Agency with 9 programs. 

Vision

To be the healthiest community ‘anywhere’ where people feel useful, valued and have purpose.

Mission

To improve the health and wellness of the community by supporting projects, providing opportunities and mobilizing resources throughout the La Crescent area that will connect people and empower them to achieve health and wellness in all aspects of their lives.

Strategic Objective

Relationship building across community and organizations.

Guiding Principles

• We believe individual health is connected to community health; that physical, emotional, spiritual, social, environmental and economic health is interconnected.

• We believe issues of our community are multi-dimensional and need multi-dimensional solutions.

• We believe in identifying assets and unlocking potentials by bringing people together to address area needs and possibilities.

• We believe in leveraging activities, investments and resources from inside and outside the community to support locally defined projects.

• We believe relationships and collaborative partnerships are critically important to everything we do.

• We believe in mobilizing people around things they care about: “Turning Individual Passions into Community Action!”

• We believe all people have the capacity to effect change in their lives and bring about change in their associations, organizations and communities.

• We believe every person’s voice, regardless of age or background, needs to be honored.

• We believe in shared leadership and shared accountability; we strive for consensus whenever possible, as well as honest, open and respectful communication.

• We believe in seizing opportunities and breaking new ground with high quality results.

HCP Statement on Racism

At HCP we believe a healthy community partnership includes prioritizing the health and well-being of all of our community members regardless of color, gender identity, ethnicity, or country of origin. It is clear, now more than ever, that there is a problem in our country.  Even as a small community we are not immune to the issues of racism and unconscious bias. It is time for us to listen, learn, educate ourselves, and speak up.  Now is not the time to stay silent.  If you hear something say something. Together we can be a positive force for change right here in our own community.  Together we have the power to put an end to bias and racism.  We cannot wait for someone else to fix the problem for us.

We need to do better.
We can do better.
We will do better.

Here at HCP we will be taking the following action steps:

1) Supporting diversification of local public libraries through a mini grant program for interested schools or libraries (see details below). 

2) Ensuring all HCP board members and staff attend an anti-racism training annually.

3) Incorporating actions and language about supporting diversity into our Strategic Plan. 

4) Supporting community efforts to enact positive change in our community. If you would like to get involved contact Eric Minor at minorej@gmail.com.

Below are some resources to begin your own journey and to help you continue the conversation.

➔ www.laxwakingupwhite.com Waking up White La Crosse is a grass-roots community volunteer organization committed to creating a healthier multicultural community in the greater La Crosse area.

➔ Book: Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You by Jason Reynolds, Ibram X. Kendi – "Stamped from the Beginning reveals the history of racist ideas in America and inspires hope for an antiracist future."

➔ Documentary: 13th - "Combining archival footage with testimony from activists and scholars, director Ava DuVernay's examination of the U.S. prison system looks at how the country's history of racial inequality drives the high rate of incarceration in America." (Netflix - currently streaming for free)

➔ Movie or Book: Just Mercy - "A powerful true story that follows young lawyer Bryan Stevenson and his battle for justice as he defends a man sentenced to death despite evidence proving his innocence." (Amazon Video - currently streaming for free)

➔ Podcasts: A1 - Confronting the Legacy of Racism in America (47 mins) + Acknowledging Racism Is A Good Start. But It’s Only The First Ste . (46 mins) (free)

➔ Research Paper: Black Americans in White La Crosse by Jennifer DeRocher ( free ) 

➔ Movie: I Am Not Your Negro - “Master filmmaker Raoul Peck envisions the book James Baldwin never finished, Remember This House. The result is a radical, up-to-the-minute examination of race in America, using Baldwin’s original words and flood of rich archival material. I Am Not Your Negro is a journey into black history that connects the past of the Civil Rights movement to the present of #BlackLivesMatter.” (available on YouTube and Amazon Prime)

Initiatives & Accomplishments (2003-2017)

• Sponsored community-wide health and wellness surveys

• Managed a charity wellness challenge which promoted physical activities and raised funds for local projects

• Managed a five year grant for Active Living from Minnesota Blue Cross/Blue Shield

• Started Grief and Alzheimer’s support groups with area churches

• Established Girls on the Go and Boys on the Go running programs  older adults

• Developed a nutrition and fitness education program for school-age children

• Hosted a health summit and two Town Hall meetings with the Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation

• Received grants to support community initiatives and establish Neighbors in Action

• Currently support seven partner programs: Neighbors Day; Neighbors in Action; The La Crescent Community Bike Shoppe; Touching Moments Animal Assisted Activities; Appleseed Community Theatre; La Crescent Community Garden, and Windy Ridge Ranch Therapeutic Riding Center

• Became a partner agency of United Way, enabling further growth for organizations under our umbrella

• Recipient of the Golden Apple award for our contribution to nutrition – 2017

Do you have an idea or a program that can improve the health and wellness of La Crescent? 

Are you overwhelmed by all the paperwork in getting started? New and emerging non-profit programs that support our mission and vision will find it easier to get started with the help of the La Crescent Area Healthy Community Partnership (HCP). To see an HCP Agreement Form please click here