HSI Monthly Momentum - April
The Iowa Healthiest State Initiative’s programs and events strive to create awareness and provide solutions to improve the physical, social and mental well-being of Iowans. Every month through Monthly Momentum, we’ll share what our team did through our four main programs Make It OK, Double Up Food Bucks, Produce Rx, and 5-2-1-0 Healthy Choices Count! the month prior to realize that mission! There are tons of ways to get involved whether your passion is mental, social, or physical health, so join us in ensuring every Iowan can live their healthiest life, and don’t forget to subscribe to our newsletter and follow us on social media so you never miss a thing!
Healthiest State General
April was packed with HSI events with the Healthiest State Conference and the 2025 Healthiest State Annual Awards! Thank you to those who joined us. The Healthiest State Conference was an incredible day of learning with amazing keynotes and breakout sessions covering the hottest topics in workplace well-being.
Following the Conference, HSI hosted the 2025 Annual Awards ceremony, where the winners in our 9 categories were announced! Meet all 9 winners and learn more in our official announcement!
Finally Donor Engagement Manager, Peri Montufar and Executive Director, Jami Haberl attended the Community Foundation of Greater Des Moines Annual Luncheon on April 23 to celebrate connection, collaboration, and community.
Make It OK
April served as a busy month for Make It OK as we finish the last touches of Mental Health Awareness Month preparations. We held 1 Make It OK presentation and trained 2 new Ambassadors. Throughout the month, we also interviewed University of Iowa student athletes to hear their mental health story and are excited to share those throughout May and in the Fall. Be sure to check out our Mental Health Awareness Month toolkit to get involved this May with us! Finally, our Back the Black campaign was nominated for the 2024 Adsposure Awards in the Eye Level category!
Double Up Food Bucks
During an in person unveiling event on April 30th, we revealed our Double Up Food Bucks Dart bus! The bus comes as a part of larger efforts to raise awareness of the program throughout Iowa so we can help as many Iowans as possible start doubling up with their SNAP benefits. Thank you to our friends at Fareway, particularly the Euclid location where the event was held, for being a part of the day!
Produce Prescription Program
We visited Produce Rx clinic and retail partners on the Western side of the state this month and had plenty of one-on-one time with our partners at Iowa Sate University Extension during the National Health Outreach Conference. The conference highlights research and public health efforts in an array of practices and communities.
