Activie Balanced Community Initiative Overview

The Monroe County Active Balanced Community Initiative was the continuation of the Building Restorative Communities (BRC) planning process. This Initiative was responsible for implementation of the Five-Year Plan created for BRC. Active Balanced Community was a collaborative initiative between the Planning Grant Steering Committee, the Human Services Collaborative Network (HSCN), the County of Monroe and the United Way Board of Directors. The County of Monroe was the applicant and fiduciary agent, the HSCN Active Balanced Community Steering Committee the governing body with the day-to-day operation of the plan was under the direction of the United Way and its Executive Director.

The Active Balanced Community Initiative adopted the four priority risk factors as determined in the planning phase:

• Economic Deprivation
• Family Conflict
• Academic Failure in Early Elementary
• Early onset of Alcohol and Drug Abuse

And is based on the BRC Principles:

• Strengthen the family
• Support core social institutions
• Balance prevention and intervention
• Intervene with graduated sanctions
• Repair harm to victims
• Engage the community
• Foster responsibility

The Five-Year Plan established three goal areas:

GOAL #1	Build and enhance collaborative systems and approaches to programs and services that strengthen youth and families
GOAL #2	Empower organizations/systems to support the development of an Active Balanced Community
GOAL #3	Build and maintain community awareness and involvement to make a positive difference in the lives of youth and family.

Year one implementation activities focused on system enhancement, system development, and staffing/coordination capacity to meet these goals. This phase was staffed by development co-coordinators who were part time employees of the United Way of Monroe County.

The HSCN Planning Phase Steering Committee, with its co-chairs Judge Pam Moskwa and United Way Executive Director Michael Hoydic, served as the governing body for the implementation phases. The Steering Committee monitored the progress of the committees, worked to address policy and issue barriers, and with the support of the committees and the project development co-coordinators prepared the application for funding for the following phases. The Steering Committee, with input from the committees, had the power to adjust the plan goals and objectives as the Initiative evolved into years 2-5 and beyond.

We had three volunteer committees supporting the initiative:

• Balanced and Restorative Justice (BARJ)
• Data Collection and Resource Assessment
• Communication and Civic Engagement

2007 Organizational Chart

Monroe County Demographics
Click here to access the SEMCOG web site
Once you are on the SEMCOG web site, scroll down, select Monroe County from the menu and then click on the “Create a Profile” button.

Talking Points for the Active Balanced Community Initiative.
These were useful for our Active Balanced Community members who spoke about our work with other members of the community.

View our accomplishments for 2006 (PDF)

Talking Points Adobe Acrobat

If you have questions about Active Balanced Community or are you interested in getting involved? Please contact us.

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