The Vermont Department of Health has awarded seven grants to small businesses to create worksite wellness programs. The Working Toward Wellness grants provide funding and technical assistance for organizations to develop workplace wellness programs at sites across the state. 

The Working Toward Wellness grantees:

• Sunrise Family Resource Center in Bennington
• Youth Services in Brattleboro
• United Ways of Vermont in Essex Junction
• Champlain Orchards in Shoreham
• Lamoille Restorative Center in Hyde Park
• Gilman Housing Trust/Rural Edge in Lyndonville
• Northeast Family Institute/Turning Points in Newport

Worksites will be given a one-time award of $3,000 to help start up a wellness program with a focus on increasing the physical activity and healthy eating opportunities for employees. Worksites will be matched with Health Department staff from their area district office who will work closely with them throughout the grant year to:

• Compose a wellness team 
• Identify the wellness needs of the company and employees
• Create goals for the program
• Plan and implement wellness programming
• Evaluate efforts

A workplace wellness program can have many benefits for a business and its employees. The programs routinely increase employee engagement and camaraderie, and can lead to measureable health outcomes.  Grant winners were selected based on readiness to develop a worksite wellness program, including support from leadership, employee engagement, and ideas about what they want a wellness program to include.

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