Main Street Matters: Healthy Maine Streets helps small business

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The Maine Downtown Center, in collaboration with MCD Public Health, has included Norway Downtown as one of 20 communities to take part in a new statewide initiative investing in wellness for Main Street and its businesses. This program, funded for two years, will support operations bringing an evidence-based plan to Norway's Main Street.

Norway Downtown has appointed Anne Toepker, of West Paris, as program coordinator. She will work directly on the local program and act as liaison with the Maine Downtown Center and the MDC Public Health.

Her experience with small businesses and her activities with social agencies puts her in a position to help customize a program of wellness for downtown businesses. The first order will be to assess the current healthcare circumstances in small, Main Street businesses and to gather the resources currently available.

Until now, small businesses have not had the capacity to offer worksite wellness programs. The Healthy Maine Streets program is funded by a Community Transformation Grant from the U.S. Health and Human Services Center of Disease Control to assist Main Street organizations in developing effective, community-based worksite wellness programs for small businesses.

The potential benefits are numerous: healthier, more productive employees and a healthier, more productive community; a more desirable place to live and work; potential for small business eligibility for Health Insurance Rebate and State of Maine Tax Credit; employee retention and recruitment; value added service by Norway Downtown.

With all good things, there are requirements and expectations. The Healthy Maine Street program is no exception. Norway Downtown is required to develop a Wellness Committee, recruit small businesses to participate in a wellness program, and to develop a work plan to address key health priorities. ND will continue to support the development of walking trails, bike paths, sidewalks and parks, access to local foods and active lifestyles.

Small businesses are the heart of the program. The Healthy Maine Street initiative focuses on providing training and technical assistance to participating businesses.

A commitment to wellness supports the local economy and the program supports a healthy, vibrant community in which to work and live. Norway Downtown has made this commitment to invest in the people on Main Street.