The Healthy South Carolina Initiative (HSCI) announced the Rural Area Leadership Institute-Dillon County (RALI-DC) as one of 34 recipients of a public health grant to encourage healthy eating and provide access to healthy foods  in  Dillon County.  
This competitive funding opportunity provides awards to community based partnerships focused on finding long-term, sustainable, system-wide solutions to health care concerns. A complete listing of 2013-2014 grantees can be found on the HSCI website    
RALI-Dillon County will receive up to $15,000 over 18 months to work on making the healthier choice the easier choice for Dillon County residents wanting to eat more fresh fruits and vegetables.  The overarching goal of HSCI is to assist communities experiencing a burden of chronic diseases caused by a lack of accessible healthy food choices.
During the 18 month process RALI-DC will be conducting a countywide community assessment process, which will include community surveys, retrieving community health profiles, community forums and other community engagement processes. The goal of RALI-DC is to obtain a clear understanding of community needs and to obtain community input for addressing those needs.
“RALI-DC is committed to improving the health of our citizens in Dillon County,” said Pat Laird Chairperson of the organization. “We are pleased to join with our community, McLeod Medical Center Dillon, Francis Marion University’s Rural Area Leadership Initiative, Dillon County Chamber of Commerce, Representative Jackie Hayes along with our local governments and elected officials to provide healthy living in Dillon County,” she added.
Across South Carolina, certain groups of people are more negatively impacted by chronic disease than others.  HSCI funded communities having demonstrated this need for financial support, as well as buy-in from the community.  These communities will be building on and expanding partnerships that engage people from all walks of life, ensuring that everyone’s voice is heard.  For many HSCI grantees, this means reaching out to partners they have not worked with before.    _
HSCI is a collaboration led by the SC Department of Health and Environmental Control in partnership with Eat Smart Move More South Carolina, the South Carolina Tobacco-Free Collaborative, the University of South Carolina Arnold School of Public Health Office of Public Health Practice, the University of South Carolina Institute for Medicine and Public Health, and the Medical University of South Carolina’s Outpatient Quality Improvement Network.  HSCI provides funding at the local level in an effort to engage, activate, and empower individuals and communities to improve their quality of life through healthy eating and active living strategies, as well as tobacco free living strategies.   
“We are seeking others in Dillon County who would like to be a part of this effort. I urge anyone  interested in this project to contact me at 759-2750 or ralidc2008@gmail.com,” said Laird.