BCRC supports the planning and development of healthy communities through a variety of recreation, food systems, substance use prevention and other public health projects. 
For bike-ped projects, please visit BCRC's transportation planning page.
Resources
Bennington County Community Asset Map
New Health Equity and Community Design Technical Assistance Pilot Program
​The Collaborative
​Alliance for Community Transformations (ACT)
​Greater Bennington Community Services
​Let's Talk Cannabis (VDH Cannabis resource page)
Health Equity Projects
Vermont Community Health Equity Partnership - managed by the Vermont Public Health Institute, this is a new collaboration between the Vermont Department of Health and local organizations in each of the state's health department districts. BCRC has been selected as the backbone organization for the Bennington district and is working with VDH to develop a community-supported health equity initiative focused on priority populations who experienced significant health disparities during the pandemic. As part of this project, BCRC received $150,000 in pass-through funding for local organizations addressing health inequities. Five community organizations have received funding:
  • ​Alliance for Community Transformations (ACT): $17,000 for the Take Care Project which provides free personal hygiene products to low-income community members.
  • Bennington County Open Arms (BCOA): $30,000 to help cover housing costs for newly arrived refugee families.
  • The Bike Hub: $24,000 to expand access to, use of, and maintenance of bicycles among low-income individuals.
  • Greater Bennington Community Services (GBCS): $75,000 to work with Rural Area Medicine to offer a pop-up clinic in Bennington that will offer no-cost medical, dental, and vision care to the community.
  • Mt. Anthony Union Middle School: $4,000 to build an orchard and greenhouse for educational purposes and to provide produce to the community. 

Another component of this project is community engagement with people disproportionately impacted by COVID-19. BCRC and VDH hosted two community meetings with GBCS and Sunrise Family Resource Center to speak with community members about the barriers they've experience to health and wellbeing. More meetings are planned for 2023, and the information gathered will be shared with local organizations, municipal leaders, and other stakeholders. 
RPC Health Equity Grant - Each of Vermont's 11 regional planning commissions has received funding from the state to develop a health equity toolkit and training for municipalities. The jointly created toolkit includes best practices and sample language for the inclusion of healthy equity principles in municipal planning documents. View the Health Equity Planning Toolkit.
Homeless Health Equity Capacity Building Grant - BCRC has received funding from VDH and the CDC to work with a consultant on an Unaccompanied Youth Needs Assessment in Bennington (now complete) and a feasibility study for a public sanitation facility. This grant is managed by a steering committee comprised of local stakeholders including BCRC, Greater Bennington Community Services (GBCS), VDH and other partners. ​