Dakota County’s Board of Commissioners gave out three Public Health Achievement awards on Tuesday, including a Farmington clinic that works with refugees and a student group against vaping.
The three recipients for 2023 are Anglos Latinos Motivated to Succeed (ALMAS), Susan Schroeder of Neighbors, Inc. and Minnesota Community Care’s Farmington Clinic, according to a news release from the county.
ALMAS, a student group at Two Rivers High School in Mendota Heights, was recognized for advocating against vaping. The group has presented to city councils and lawmakers and created a three-part video series educating youth about the harmful effects of vaping.
Minnesota Community Care’s Farmington Clinic was also a recipient, recognized for its multilingual and multicultural expertise in the health care community and the services it provides to refugees. The clinic was instrumental in working to eliminate the backlog of health screenings in the federal Uniting for Ukraine program.
The Farmington Clinic also partnered with the Farmington school district to create a school-based health clinic and provide immunizations at open houses.
“(The clinic) is a beacon of hope, support, understanding and accessibility for the promotion of public health,” said Ingrid Soderholm, a school nurse, in the release.
Neighbors, Inc. is a nonprofit based in South St. Paul that works to provide service programs to low-income communities in northern Dakota County. Schroeder, who works as the organization’s deputy director, was awarded for her efforts in making healthy food more accessible by establishing six satellite food shelves.
The awards, which have been given out since 2000, look to highlight those in the county working to make it a healthier and more welcoming place.
