Annual event celebrates WeTHRIVE! communities & schools

On December 6, Hamilton County Public Health (HCPH) held the annual WeTHRIVE!℠ Recognition Event to celebrate WeTHRIVE! communities and school districts for their commitment to fostering a culture of health, safety, and vitality throughout the county during 2022.

After two years of holding this event virtually, it was great to see WeTHRIVE! teams and partners back in person at the Forest Park Senior Center. Each community and school received a proclamation from the Hamilton County Board of Health for meeting the 2022 recognition requirements and in appreciation of the time and energy they have committed to WeTHRIVE!

“While each WeTHRIVE! school or community is unique, we did notice common themes in 2022,” says Mary Ellen Knaebel, director of health promotion and education with HCPH. These areas of focus included:

• Mental health: The pandemic highlighted the need to address mental health. Many WeTHRIVE! school districts and communities worked with our partners to meet the mental health needs of residents, students, staff, and families.

• Healthy food access: WeTHRIVE! communities and schools coordinated produce pop-ups and other community-based food distribution programs, maintained community gardens, and hosted cooking classes.

• Pickleball: WeTHRIVE! joined the pickleball rage, with several communities creating pickleball courts and providing opportunities for residents to learn how to play.

• Community clean up: WeTHRIVE! teams continued to provide opportunities for residents to connect and engage with each other through community clean-up events. 

Congratulations to the following communities & school districts!

WeTHRIVE! Communities:

• Amberley Village – 8^th year
• Anderson Township – 8^th year
• Cheviot – 6^th year 
• Deer Park – 5^th year
• Delhi Township – 4^th year 
• Elmwood Place – 2^nd year
• Forest Park – 8^th year 
• Golf Manor – 3^rd year
• Lincoln Heights – 8^th year
• Lockland – 8^th year
• Miami Township – 3^rd year 
• Montgomery – 8^th year
• Mt. Healthy – 8^th year 
• North Bend – 8^th year
• Reading – 6^th year
• St. Bernard – 5^th year
• Whitewater Township – 7^th year  
• Woodlawn – 8^th year 

WeTHRIVE! School Districts:

• Lockland City Schools – 6^th year
• Mt. Healthy City Schools – 6^th year
• North College Hill City Schools – 6^th year
• Northwest Local Schools – 1^st year
• Reading Community City Schools – 4^th year
• St. Bernard/Elmwood Place City Schools – 3^rd year 
• Three Rivers Local Schools – 5^th year
• Winton Woods City Schools – 5^th year

Visit the WeTHRIVE! Facebook page to see photos from the 2022 Recognition Event and be sure to watch our Year in Review video.