Partnership Leads to Announcement of New Program: LIFT - Local Impact for Tomorrow

During the Roanoke City School Board meeting on Wednesday, the school system, Delta Dental of Virginia, Freedom First Credit Union and Carilion (collectively referred to as the founding partners) announced Local Impact for Tomorrow (LIFT), a health and wellness initiative that will include a new pediatric health clinic and community center.

The center will be at the new Fallon Park Elementary School and is expected to open in August 2020.

“The heart of a community is often its local school,” offered Dr. Rita Bishop, superintendent of Roanoke City Public Schools. “The LIFT program will soon be available to Fallon Park students and their families, and we hope to expand beyond that in the future.”

LIFT is focused on enabling a bright and healthy future for local families, and the founding partners will work closely with the Fallon Park community in the planning and delivery of the services they need most. 

• A child’s physical and mental health can impact their performance in school and their quality of life. School nurses and a nurse practitioner will provide proactive clinical services, enabling students and their families to stay healthier.
  
  “Together, we’re making a commitment to our precious children and their families in our community to have healthy beginnings that can last a lifetime,” said Nancy Howell Agee, our president and CEO.
   
• Dental care will be made possible by Delta Dental of Virginia and local providers.
  
  “Oral health is essential to a person’s overall health. Unfortunately, due to financial constraints, it’s often overlooked,” said Frank Lucia, president and CEO of Delta Dental of Virginia. “Our goal is to provide a variety of on-site dental services for children and their families, making oral health care easier to access and avoiding more complex problems later in life.”
   
• A community health worker, made possible by a United Way grant, will help students and families address other needs, connecting them to community partners and services, including transportation, access to appointments, job training, housing needs and more.

• Freedom First Credit Union is supporting LIFT by helping community members with their financial well-being, including offering services to help improve credit scores, reduce debt, establish savings and more.
  
  “Just like our other partners in LIFT, Freedom First is focused on the needs of our community,” said Paul Phillips, Freedom First president and CEO. “It’s amazing to see this type of collaboration, and I’m excited to see where these efforts will take us next.”

If you have questions or would like to be involved in the project, contact Shirley Holland, Planning and Community Development, at sbholland@carilionclinic.org.